Washington Goes Deep In 11-4 Win Over Stanford

Thursday, April 2

Seattle, WA

5:00 PM

University of Washington

32-9, 0

Stanford

16-20, 0

Stanford

Washington

Photo by: Washington Athletics

April 03, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

By: Washington Athletics

SEATTLE -- No. 20 Washington scored nine combined runs in the fifth and sixth frames Thursday to pull away from Stanford in the first of the three-game series at Husky Softball Stadium. Washington showed its power, recording four home runs, including a grand slam that aided an 11-4 Huskies' win.

Washington improves to 32-9 overall on the season with its win, 4-5 in the Pac-12. Stanford now is 16-20 on the year with its loss and stands at 1-6 in the conference.

Senior Kasey Stanchek (12-4) earned the complete-game win, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits and two walks with one strikeout. With the win, Stanchek improves to 7-0 on the season when throwing a complete seven innings.

Using a two-out rally, Washington recorded the first run of the game in the bottom of the first to take an early 1-0 lead. Sophomore Ali Aguilar drew a walk and advanced home all the way from first base off junior Courtney Gano's RBI single.

After a three up, three down inning for Stanchek and the Husky defense, senior Kelli Suguro and freshman Krystal Aubert hit back-to-back one-out singles in the bottom of the second, but the pair were left stranded after Stanford's right fielder made a tremendous running catch to rob senior Kylee Lahners of a hit and save a couple of runs from scoring.

The Huskies added to their lead, however, in the third when Gano recorded her second hit of the game, smacking her team-leading 16^th home run of the season to put the Huskies on top, 2-0.

After leading off the top of the fourth with a single, Stanford used a two-out rally to score their first run of the game. The Cardinal put runners on the corners via a hit through the infield and took advantage of an error to trim their deficit to just one run, 2-1.

With one out in the fifth, Stanford singled to reach base but Washington catcher junior Kimberlee Souza quickly hosed her trying to steal second to help Stanchek face the minimum in the frame.

The Huskies went on to score four runs in the bottom half of the inning, thanks to Souza's first career grand slam. Lahners drew a leadoff walk before freshman Taylor Van Zee's sac bunt advanced her into scoring position. After Gano was intentionally walked, sophomore Casey Stangel also drew a walk to load the bases for Souza who unloaded on the second pitch of the at-bat. The home run was Souza's third of the season.

Stanford struck back right away in the top of the sixth, using a double and a walk to put a pair on before scoring three runs off a double, sac-fly and single to make it a 6-4 game. Stanford still had a runner at first after the single, but Stanchek was able to strand her there to preserve the Husky lead.

After Aubert cranked a leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the sixth, four batters later, Aguilar hit Washington's fourth homer of the contest. Both home runs were of the line drive variety; for Aubert it was her third of the year while Aguilar's blast was her ninth of 2015. The Dawgs weren't satisfied as Gano and Stangel followed the home run with a single and double to put a pair on for Souza who ripped a ball right back to the pitcher to score both runs and put the Huskies up 11-4.

Souza was 3-for-4 in the game, recording a career high six RBI. Gano went 3-for-3 including two RBI and three runs scored. Aguilar also drove in a pair with her home run.

Washington and Stanford will play game two of the series, tomorrow (April 3) at Husky Softball Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.