Van Zee's Walk-Off Completes Comeback Win Over Cal

Friday, April 15

Seattle, WA

5:00 PM

University of Washington

27-8, 0

California

20-16-1, 0

Cal

Washington

Photo by: Washington Athletics

April 16, 2016 | Softball

Box Score

By: Washington Athletics

SEATTLE -- Sophomore second baseman Taylor Van Zee knocked out a walk-off solo home run in the seventh inning to propel the No. 9-ranked University of Washington softball team to a 3-2 comeback win over Cal on Friday evening (April 15) at Husky Softball Stadium.

With the game tied 2-2, Van Zee connected with the 1-2 pitch to leadoff the seventh inning with her sixth home run of the season to straight-away center field. Van Zee and senior Kimberlee Souza headlined the Huskies' offensive efforts, going 2-for-3 at the four and seven spots. Souza knocked out her 10th home run of the season to tie the game in the fourth inning. The Huskies recorded just six hits in the contest, which is tied for a season low in league play this season.

Junior LHP Casey Stangel improves to 4-1 in Pac-12 play after earning the win in the circle. Mirroring her team's momentum, Stangel entered the game in the second and threw six shutout innings. The junior allowed five hits while registering a pair of strikeouts. Freshman Taran Alvelo started the game, giving up three hits and two runs with a strikeout in the first inning.

Cal took an early 2-0 lead in the first. After reaching on back-to-back singles, the Bears drew a walk to load the bases before scoring their first run off a wild pitch. In the next at-bat, a single scored what proved to be their final run of the game.

After going down in order in the first two frames, Washington's bats came alive in the third. Van Zee led off the inning with an infield single and advanced to third off a ground out and a wild pitch. Senior Dani Braun then worked the count full, fouling off five foul balls before delivering an RBI double to left-center field to trim the deficit in half, 2-1.

The Huskies tied the game in the next inning as Souza hit a one-out solo home run to left field. The senior now has 10 homers on the year, which is second-best on the team.

Cal threatened in the fifth, hitting back-to-back singles before the pair advanced a bag off a fly out to left field. With runners on second and third, Stangel induced a pop up to Van Zee at second to put an end to the threat.

The Huskies also threatened in the home half of the inning as freshman Tannon Snow drew a leadoff walk and pinch runner Kelly Burdick advanced to second off Braun's bunt, but Cal's starting pitcher, Nisa Ontiveros, recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.

After both teams left a runner on in the sixth, Stangel and the defense retired the side in order in the seventh before Van Zee led off with a solo home run to give the Huskies the win, 3-2 and extend Washington's win streak to six game.