University of Washington
20-6, 1-3
UCLA
18-9-1, 1-1-1
Hit Parade, Stingy Pitching Helps Washington Run-Rule UCLA
March 25, 2016 | Softball
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Washington softball team used timely hitting and stingy pitching to cruise to a 9-0, six-inning decision against No. 14 UCLA on Thursday night (March 24) at Easton Stadium. Washington posted 15 hits – its 15th double-digit hit performance this season – and scored at least one run in all but one inning to earn its first Pac-12 win of the season.
Sophomore Trysten Melhart, junior Ali Aguilar, sophomore Julia DePonte, junior Casey Stangel and senior Dani Braun all boasted multi-hit efforts from the plate. Melhart was 4-for-4 with two runs batted in and a run scored while Aguilar and freshman Tannon Snow both knocked out home runs. Snow's three-run homer in the sixth inning pushed the game into run-rule territory.
Freshman RHP Taran Alvelo (11-6) tossed a complete-game shutout -- the first of her career -- from the circle. The freshman struck out five while allowing just four hits and one walk. Alvelo and the Husky defense recorded three up, three down innings in the first two frames.
The Husky bats jumped all over Bruin starting pitcher Johanna Grauer in the first inning using four hits to plate a pair of runs. Melhart opened the game with a double over the center fielder's head and one out later, Aguilar singled to put runners on the corners. Senior Kimberlee Souza's RBI ground out to first base then scored Melhart and in the next at-bat Stangel's single up the middle scored Aguilar to give Washington an early 2-0 lead.
The Huskies tacked on another run in the second. Snow drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second off senior Jennie McNeill's bunt. Melhart then delivered an RBI single up the middle to score Snow and force a UCLA pitching change as Selina Ta'amilo entered the game.
Another four hit inning and a couple of errors led to two more Husky runs in the third. Stangel led off with a double down the right field line and advanced home off a pair of errors. DePonte and Braun then hit back-to-back singles and after an attempted squeeze bunt got DePonte out at home, Melhart singled through the left side to score Braun and give the Huskies a 5-0 edge.
UCLA did not post a hit until the third inning. After leading off with a single, the Bruins were hit-by-pitch to put a pair on with no outs. Alvelo then got the next batter swinging and the final two outs looking to preserve the shutout.
Aguilar led off the fourth frame with her Pac-12 leading 14th home run of the season to put the Dawgs on top, 6-0.
UCLA threatened in both the fourth and fifth innings, but the Husky defense proved to be up to the task. After drawing a leadoff walk in the fourth, a double play turned McNeill at third and sophomore Taylor Van Zee at second ended the threat. The Bruins hit a pair of singles in the fifth, but Alvelo induced a ground out to end the inning.
Washington pushed the game into run-rule territory in the sixth thanks to Snow's third home run of the season. Souza and Braun both singled before the homer to make it a three-run shot.
UCLA led off the sixth with a single, but another turned double play by the Husky defense ended the game to give Washington its first Pac-12 win of the season.
The Huskies and Bruins will play game two of the three-game series tomorrow (March 25) at 7 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Alvelo, Taran (11-4)
L: Grauer (9-7)
Batting:
2B: Melhart, Trysten 1 ; Stangel, Casey 1
HR: Aguilar, Ali 1 ; Snow, Tannon 1
RBI: Melhart, Trysten 2 ; Aguilar, Ali 1 ; Souza, Kimberlee 1 ; Stangel, Casey 1 ; Snow, Tannon 3
SH: McNeill, Jennie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Melhart, Trysten 1 ; Aguilar, Ali 2 ; Milloy, Amirah 1 ; Stangel, Casey 1 ; Braun, Dani 2 ; Snow, Tannon 2
SB: Milloy, Amirah 1
Base Running:
HBP: Maurice 1
