University of Washington
28-9, 0
California
21-17-1, 0
Huskies Rally Late, Fall Short In Series Finale
April 17, 2016 | Softball
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SEATTLE -- The No. 9-ranked University of Washington softball team battled back from an early deficit in the series finale against Cal but eventually fell, 5-3, on a beautiful, sunny afternoon at Husky Softball Stadium. The Huskies spotted Cal a four run lead in the second inning before mounting a late-inning comeback that fell just short.
Three Husky pitchers saw time in the circle. Sophomore starter Madi Schreyer (8-2) took the loss, throwing 1.2 innings, allowing three hits and four runs with a pair of strikeouts. Junior LHP Casey Stangel pitched one out in the second inning before freshman Taran Alvelo entered the game in the third, throwing 5.0 innings, allowing six hits and one run with four strikeouts.
Senior Kimberlee Souza hit her 11th home run of the season in the sixth inning to pull the Huskies to within two runs. The first baseman led the offense with two runs batted in. Sophomore Taylor Van Zee went 2-for-4 with a run scored while freshman Morganne Flores recorded an RBI.
Cal scored four runs to jump out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning. After a walk and a hit-by-pitch put a pair on, the Bears attempted to steal third, but catcher Flores and shortstop Ali Aguilar were all over it for the first out of the inning. A hit and a walk then loaded the bases before Cal delivered an RBI single to take a 1-0 lead. After two more runs scored off a fielder's choice and a single, Stangel replaced Schreyer in the circle. The Bears tacked on one more, scoring off a wild pitch before the Huskies finally escaped the inning with an infield pop up.
After Cal plated another run in the fourth off a sac-fly, Washington finally got to Cal's starter Nisa Ontiveros. Sophomore's Trysten Melhart and Taylor Van Zee hit back-to-back singles to open the inning and Aguilar was hit-by-pitch to load the bases. After two consecutive strikeouts, Flores drew a bases loaded walk to score Melhart.
Trailing 5-1, Van Zee ignited the rally in the sixth inning, reaching on a leadoff single. One out later, Souza unloaded on her 11th home run of the season, a two-run shot down the left field line to trim Washington's deficit to just two runs, 5-3.
Washington put together another two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh, placing the tying run on base but were unable to get the RBI hit. Sophomore Kelly Burdick started things with a single before Melhart drew a walk and forced Cal to make a pitching change as Katie Sutherland-Finch replaced Ontiveros. In the next at-bat, Van Zee made solid contact, launching one into left field, but Cal was able to make the catch to end the game and hand Washington its first loss of the series.
The Huskies are back in action next weekend (April 22-24) as the team travels to Corvallis, Ore. for a three-game series against Oregon State.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ontiveros, Nisa (7-5)
L: Schreyer, Madi (8-2)
S: Sutherland-Finch, K (2)
Batting:
3B: Taylor, Khala 1
RBI: Jackson, Jazmyn 1 ; Reed, Kylie 1 ; Rood, Lindsay 1 ; Mejia, Jasmin 1
SH: Reed, Kylie 1
SF: Rood, Lindsay 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jackson, Jazmyn 1 ; Pogue, Taurie 1 ; Pettis, Kobie 1 ; Koenig, Taylor 1 ; Mejia, Jasmin 1
SB: Rood, Lindsay 1
CS: Rood, Lindsay 1 ; Taylor, Khala 1
HBP: Pogue, Taurie 1
Batting:
HR: Souza, Kimberlee 1
RBI: Souza, Kimberlee 2 ; Flores, Morganne 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Melhart, Trysten 1 ; Van Zee, Taylor 1 ; Souza, Kimberlee 1
HBP: Aguilar, Ali 1
