University of Washington
24-8, 0
Arizona State
27-11, 0
Washington Defeats Arizona State To Open Series
April 09, 2016 | Softball
TEMPE, Ariz. – Freshman RHP Taran Alvelo posted eight strikeouts en route to a two-hit gem, headlining the No. 11-ranked University of Washington softball team's 7-2 win against No. 20 Arizona State on Friday (April 8) at Farrington Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. The Huskies manufactured seven runs on nine hits to supplement the solid pitching performance.
Alvelo (13-5) went the distance to claim her 13th win of the season, allowing just two hits, a two-run home run in the first inning and a single in the seventh.
Senior Kimberlee Souza headlined the Husky bats, hitting a three-run home run in the first inning while going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Sophomore's Trysten Melhart and Julia DePonte went 2-for-4 and freshman Morganne Flores recorded a pair of RBI off a double in the fifth inning.
A bulk of the game's runs were scored in the first inning with Washington scoring three and Arizona State plating two. After Melhart reached on a bunt-single to open the contest, junior Ali Aguilar drew a walk before Souza unloaded on a three-run home run. The Sun Devils trimmed its deficit to one run in the home half of the inning, hitting a home run of their own, a two-run shot to make it a 3-2 game.
Washington used four hits and an error to tack on two more runs in the third. For the second time in the game, Melhart led off with a single and advanced off DePonte's bunt-single, which was overthrown and put runners on the corners. In the next at-bat, Aguilar's sac-fly scored Melhart. Souza then singled up the middle and DePonte was thrown out at home for the second out. With Souza on second, junior Casey Stangel's RBI single knocked her home and the Huskies took a 5-2 lead.
The Huskies tacked on two more runs in the fifth, using a pair of walks and another hit by Souza to load the bases. Flores then doubled into right-center field to bring the pair home and put Washington on top, 7-2.
After a three up, three down sixth inning for the third time in the game, Arizona State hit a one-out single in the seventh, but Alvelo induced a pair of fly outs to end the game.
Washington and Arizona State play game two of the series tomorrow (April 9) at 7 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Alvelo, Taran (13-5)
L: Kessler, K. (13-6)
Batting:
2B: Flores, Morganne 1
HR: Souza, Kimberlee 1
RBI: Aguilar, Ali 1 ; Souza, Kimberlee 3 ; Stangel, Casey 1 ; Flores, Morganne 2
SF: Aguilar, Ali 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Melhart, Trysten 2 ; Aguilar, Ali 2 ; Souza, Kimberlee 2 ; Milloy, Amirah 1
SB: Melhart, Trysten 1
HBP: Van Zee, Taylor 1
Batting:
HR: Soria, J. 1
RBI: Soria, J. 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Becerra, T. 1 ; Soria, J. 1
