Three-Run Fifth Pushes Washington Past UCLA

Friday, March 25

Los Angeles, CA

7:00 PM

University of Washington

21-6, 2-3

UCLA

18-10-1, 1-2-1

Washington

UCLA

Photo by: Washington Athletics

March 26, 2016 | Softball

Box Score

By: Washington Athletics

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Washington softball team battled through a back-and-forth game with UCLA, knocking off the Bruins, 6-5, on Friday evening (March 25) at Easton Stadium. With the decision, the Huskies have now won back-to-back Pac-12 games and improved to 2-3 in conference play and 21-6 overall.

Junior shortstop Ali Aguilar belted out two home runs, totaling in three runs batted in. The Orangevale, Calif. native now has three homers in the series and 16 on the season. Senior Dani Braun went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI, while sophomore Julia DePonte went 3-for-3 and junior Casey Stangel tallied two hits and an RBI.

Freshman RHP Taran Alvelo (12-4) earned the win, throwing all but one out in the game, allowing six hits and four earned runs. Alvelo struggled with walks, giving free passes to eight Bruin batters, but struck out eight, including back-to-back strikeouts with a pair of runners on to end the fourth and seventh innings.

For the 17th time this season, the Huskies took the game's first lead, scoring a pair of runs in the opening inning. Washington is now 17-4 this season when scoring first. With one out, Taylor Van Zee worked the count full before delivering a single up the middle and in the next at bat, Aguilar crushed her 15^th home run of the season to deep right field.

UCLA used a pair of walks and a bunt-single to load the bases in the first inning, but Alvelo induced a pair of pop ups, both caught by Aguilar at shortstop, to end the inning.

After a scoreless second inning for the Huskies, UCLA used a two-out rally to tie the game. Alvelo recorded back-to-back strikeouts to open the frame and then the Bruins used back-to-back singles and a throwing error to lock the game at 2-2.

Washington took back the lead in the third inning, scoring a run to go back on top, 3-2. Van Zee drew a lead off walk and advanced to second off a wild pitch. After advancing to third off Aguilar's ground out, Stangel crushed a single off the wall in right-center to plate Van Zee.

UCLA used two hits to score three runs and take a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Alvelo struck out the first batter and then the Bruins singled up the middle and advanced to second off a wild pitch. A fielder's choice then placed runners at first and third and a walk loaded the bases. A bases loaded walk tied the game before a single into right field scored two more runs.

Washington came storming back in the fifth inning, plating three runs of their own to take back the lead. Aguilar led off the inning with her second homer of the game, a deep solo shot to right field. Senior Kimberlee Souza and Stangel then hit back-to-back singles and pinch runners Amirah Milloy and Kelly Burdick advanced a bag off DePonte's bunt. In the next at-bat, Braun smoked a stand-up double to left field to score both Milloy and Burdick and put the Huskies on top for good, 6-5.

UCLA threatened in the final three innings, leaving five runners stranded. In the fifth, the Bruins singled to open the inning and was hit-by-pitch to put a pair on, but a double play ended the threat.

Sophomore Madi Schreyer came in to pitch briefly in the sixth inning, inducing a ground out for the first out before a hit-by-pitch sent Alvelo back in the circle. After a walk put a pair on, Alvelo struck out the next batter and induced a pop up to end the inning.

The Bruins threatened again in the seventh, reaching on a one-out walk and a fielding error, but Alvelo got the next two batters swinging to end the game and preserve Washington's second consecutive Pac-12 win.

Washington and UCLA will play the series finale tomorrow (March 26) at 12:30 p.m. The game will air live on the Pac-12 Networks.