March 27, 1999
SEATTLE - The fifth-ranked Washington softball team split its opening Pac-10 doubleheader with No. 7 Stanford on a cold, blustery day at Husky Softball Stadium, dropping the first 4-1 before coming back to shut out the Cardinal, 6-0, in the second game. UW, now 23-6 and 1-1 in conference play, will host No. 13 Cal tomorrow at 1 p.m.
All five runs of the first game came in the fourth frame. The Cardinal scored four off three singles and a home run, managing just two hits throughout the remainder of the game. The Huskies came back in the bottom of the inning, scoring when sophomore Kim DePaul walked, moved to second on a successful bunt by senior Becky Newbry, and scored when junior Melissa Downs singled to right field. UW then loaded the bases when junior Jennifer Spediacci walked, but could not send anyone else home. Spediacci pitched the complete game and struck out five in the loss.
In the second game, Washington wasted no time putting a run on the scoreboard, with two doubles by DePaul and Newbry in the first inning sending DePaul home. After loading the bases in the third but coming up empty-handed, UW made it 2-0 in the fourth. Spediacci walked and stole second before junior Jeanine Giordano earned a base on balls. Junior Jamie Graves advanced both on a sacrifice bunt, and sophomore Christie Rosenblad singled Spediacci home.
But the Dawgs' bats really came alive offensively in the fifth frame, converting three hits and two walks into four runs. DePaul led off with a walk and moved to second on a Newbry single. Downs then doubled to score DePaul before Spediacci earned her fourth of five walks for the day. Giordano hit Newbry home, and an error allowed pinch runner Bork to score as well. A single by Graves sent Spediacci home to finish the scoring.
In Graves' seventh complete game of the year, she gave up just four hits, no two coming in the same inning, and struck out six to improve to 13-4. Both teams combined to strand 17 runners, with UW leaving 10 on. Game One Stanford 000 400 0 4 6 1 Washington 000 100 0 1 3 0Marcy Crouch and Kellie Wiginton; Jennifer Spediacci and Jeanine Giordano.
WP-Crouch (14-3). Game Two Stanford 000 000 0 0 4 2 Washington 100 140 x 6 7 0Becky Blevins and Kellie Wiginton; Jamie Graves and Jeanine Giordano.
WP-Graves (13-4). |
