April 11, 1999 SEATTLE--The fourth-ranked Husky softball team split its fourth doubleheader against Pac-10 teams ranked in the top 13 in the nation, run-ruling No. 2 Arizona in the second game, 9-0 in six, after falling 2-1 in the first in front of 1,417 fans on Sunday. Washington now stands at 27-9 overall and 5-4 in conference play.
In the opener, the Wildcats scored once in the third off a home run and again in the fifth on a double, a sacrifice and a single. UW got one hit each of the final four innings and finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh. Pinch runner Becky Simpson scored with two outs after freshman Shannon Walsh doubled, junior Jeanine Giordano moved her to third and the UA pitcher threw a wild pitch.
Junior Jamie Graves (16-5), suffering her first loss in six outings, gave up six hits and struck out five. UW collected just four hits in the game.
The Huskies then jumped out of the blocks early in the nightcap, scoring seven runs in the first inning to put Arizona away. Junior Rosie Leutzinger started the action with a single to center field, followed by a walk for sophomore Kelly Hauxhurst. Sophomore Kim DePaul then singled to left field, sending Leutzinger home and Hauxhurst to second. Both advanced on senior Becky Newbry's base on balls. Walsh reached first on a fielder's choice when the Wildcats threw out Hauxhurst at home, but DePaul and Newbry came home when junior Jennifer Spediacci walked and classmate Melissa Downs was hit by a pitch. Junior Erin Helgeland, pinch running for Walsh, scored on a Giordano single, and Spediacci crossed the plate on the ensuing error by the shortstop. Sophomore Christie Rosenblad and Leutzinger both walked, which sent Downs home. After a pitching change, Simpson, pinch running for Giordano, scored on Hauxhurst's fielder's choice to finish the scoring barrage.
All totaled, the Huskies collected three hits, five walks and one hit by pitch in the first inning, scoring more runs than they had in the previous four games combined.
The game quieted considerably thereafter. The Wildcats had just two hits in the next five innings, and UW's final two runs did not come until the bottom of the sixth. Rosenblad singled to left field but was out at second on Leutzinger's fielder's choice. Leutzinger continued on to second on an error, and Hauxhurst singled and stole second to put runners on second and third. DePaul's double knocked both in to end the game.
Junior Jennifer Spediacci (10-4) allowed just three hits and struck out two in the win. The Huskies had eight hits on the game, with DePaul, Hauxhurst and Rosenblad each picking up two. Game One Arizona 001 010 0 2 6 1 Washington 000 000 1 1 4 0Game Two Arizona 000 000 x 0 3 2 Washington 700 002 x 9 8 1 |
