One Big Inning Carries Arizona Past Washington In Game One

Friday, April 10

Tucson, AZ

6:00 PM

University of Washington

34-10, 6-6

Arizona

32-9, 7-3

Washington

Arizona

Photo by: Washington Athletics

One Big Inning Carries Arizona Past Washington In Game One

April 11, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

By: Washington Athletics

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Huskies (34-10, 6-6 Pac-12) outscored the Wildcats (32-9, 7-3 Pac-12) through the final four innings in the first of the three-game series, but one big inning early proved to be too much to overcome as No. 18 Washington fell to No. 16 Arizona, 14-6 on Friday night at Hillenbrand Stadium.

A showdown between two of the top offenses in the Pac-12 featured just that: offense. The two teams combined for 19 hits and 20 runs in the contest. Arizona plated ten runs off five hits, including three home runs in the first inning. From there, Washington took control, outscoring the Cats 6-4 in the remaining frames.

Arizona took advantage of a pair of bases loaded walks and three home runs to take a very fast 10-0 lead. After a one-out single and a walk put a pair on, Arizona hit their first homer of the inning to jump out to a 3-0 lead. UA then managed to load the bases and junior Hailey Bator replaced Husky starter senior Kasey Stanchek. Using a pair of bases loaded walks and two home runs, including a grand slam, the Wildcats went on top, 10-0. Freshman Kristin Cochran pitched the final out of the inning, inducing a ground out to end it.

Sophomore Casey Stangel drew a lead off walk in the third inning and eventually reached third base after freshman Krystal Aubert delivered a two-out single up the middle but Arizona recorded a strikeout to keep the Huskies scoreless in the game.

The potent Husky offense did, however, put runs across in the third, recording four hits while taking advantage of a couple of Wildcat errors. Washington sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning to score six runs and trim their deficit to just four. Senior Kylee Lahners ignited the rally, ripping a stand-up double down the line, her tenth of the season. After Lahners reached third on a wild pitch, freshman Taylor Van Zee drew a walk and sophomore Ali Aguilar delivered her 43rd RBI of the season, a single to plate Lahners.

The inning continued as junior Courtney Gano's hard chopper to short scored Van Zee. Stangel then drew her second walk of the game and a throwing error on the next play allowed Gano and speedy pinch runner Kelly Burdick to score.

Arizona was forced to make a pitching change after senior Kelli Suguro kept the inning alive with her single to left. With one-out and runners on the corners, the Wildcats replaced starter Michelle Floyd with Trish Parks. The Huskies used a two-out rally to score two more as freshman Julia DePonte delivered a two-RBI single up the middle and the Dawgs trailed by just four, 10-6.

For the second consecutive inning, the Wildcats put a pair of runners on in the third, but Cochran and the Husky defense escaped the innings unscathed. Arizona did capitalize in the final two frames however plating two runs each in the fourth and fifth to end the game in five innings.

The Wildcats took advantage of a leadoff double and a walk in the fourth before hitting a two-out double to score both runs and take a 12-6 lead.

The Huskies attempted a two-out rally in the fifth after Aubert drew a walk and DePonte tallied her second hit of the game, a single through the right side, but Arizona got Aubert rounding third to record the final out of the inning.

A pair of singles and an error loaded the bases for Arizona in fifth and two more singles gave the Cats a 14-6 victory in game one of the three-game series.

Washington and Arizona are back in action tomorrow night (April 11) at 7:30 p.m. at Hillenbrand Stadium. The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.