Huskies Win First-Ever Pac-12 Opener

Friday, March 23

Seattle, Wash.

6:00 PM

University of Washington

1-0, 1-0

Utah

0-1, 0-1

Utah

Washington

March 23, 2012 | Softball

Box Score

By: Washington Athletics

March 23, 2012

Final Stats

SEATTLE - Sophomore Kaitlin Inglesby pitched a complete game and had two hits and three RBI at the plate as the Huskies won their 2012 Pac-12 opener vs. newcomer Utah, 5-1, on Friday night at Husky Softball Field.

UW improves to 30-1 on the year and 1-0 in Pac-12 play while Utah is now 21-6 and 0-1.

This is the best start ever for UW under current head coach Heather Tarr and best by a Husky team since the 2003 team started 31-1-1.

It was a pitching duel until the fifth inning, when UW exploded for four runs, after one run in the third. Inglesby (Portland, Ore.) improved to 16-0 in the circle, allowing just one run on six hits with eight strikeouts.

Generra Nielson, the reigning Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week, took the loss for Utah, allowing five runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings. Naomi Amu pitched the final inning.

In the third, senior Kimi Pohlman (Sammamish, Wash.) singled and scored on a two-out double to right by Inglesby for the first run of the game.

Sophomore pincher hitter Marki Creger-Zier (Steilacoom, Wash.) started the four-run fifth inning for UW with a single through the left side. She stole second and reached third on a sac bunt by sophomore Victoria Hayward (Mountain View, Calif.). Creger-Zier scored on a nice squeeze bunt at the plate by Pohlman. Pohlman stole second and scored on a single up the middle by senior Nikia Williams (Mission Viejo, Calif.). Inglesby hit her sixth homer of the season, a two-run shot to left center to seal the game.

Tia Palauni hit a solo home run to left-center for the first and only Utah run of the game in the sixth.

Game two of the series is Saturday at 4 p.m. John Cowley will call the game live on www.gohuskies.com. Live video and stats will also be available live for free.