Huskies Post Four Homers To Sweep Arizona State

For the second straight game, the No. 12-ranked University of Washington softball team utilized the home run ball to power past No. 20 Arizona State, 12-9, on Sunday (April 10) at Farrington Stadium. The Huskies knocked out four home runs in the game, boasting eight total long balls in the weekend series sweep.

After waiting out a two-and-a-half hour rain delay, Washington and Arizona State battled through a wild, back-and-forth game which saw four lead changes, two ties and six total home runs.

Sophomore Taylor Van Zee led the Huskies at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two home runs, a single and four RBI. Fellow sophomore Julia DePonte also went yard and recorded three runs batted in. Senior Kimberlee Souza hit Washington's fourth home run with the game tied in the seventh inning.

The Huskies utilized three of its pitchers in the game. Sophomore Madi Schreyer earned the win, throwing 2.1 innings, allowing three hits and three runs. Freshman Taran Alvelo started the game and earned the save after re-entering to pitch the final three outs. Alvelo threw 3.2 innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs. Junior Casey Stangel entered the game with two-outs in the second inning before she was replaced by Schreyer in the fourth.

Washington opened the scoring in the second inning. Souza drew a walk to open the frame and two outs later, Van Zee unloaded on the Huskies’ first home run of the night.

The lead was short lived as ASU scored two runs of their own in the home half of the inning to tie the game. After two fly outs, the Sun Devils hit a solo home run to trim the deficit in half and then tied the game off a wild pitch.

ASU used another two-out rally to take the lead in the bottom of the third. After consecutive fly outs, the Sun Devils reached on an error before hitting their second home run of the game to take a 4-2 lead. Stangel replaced Alvelo in the circle after the home run and the Sun Devils continued to threat, loading the bases off a pair of singles and a walk, but DePonte made a nice play at third, getting the force out at home to end the inning.

Washington was retired in order for the second straight inning in the fourth before Arizona State cushioned their lead with two more runs off a two-RBI double. With the Sun Devils leading 6-2, Schreyer entered the circle for the Huskies and induced a ground out for the final out of the inning.

Van Zee's second home run of the game ignited the comeback rally in the fifth. After Flores reached on an error, the two-run shot made it a 6-4 game. Freshman Tannon Snow was then hit-by-pitch and sophomore Kelly Burdick singled through the right side to put a pair on. DePonte then unloaded on the Huskies' third home run to give Washington the lead, 7-6.

Washington tacked on two more runs in the sixth off a sac-fly by Burdick and an RBI single by sophomore Trysten Melhart. Leading 9-6, Arizona State hit a three-run home run in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game back up, 9-9.

Washington wasted little time to reclaim the lead as junior Ali Aguilar was hit-by-pitch to lead off the seventh before Souza delivered her third home run of the series to give Washington the lead, 11-9. Two outs later, Burdick tallied an RBI single to put the Dawgs up, 12-9.

Alvelo re-entered to close out the game she started in the seventh and after allowing a lead off single, the Huskies retired the next three batters in order to earn the series sweep.