“Purple” Earns Game One Win in Purple-and-Gold Series

SEATTLE – The Huskies continued Purple-and-Gold week with their first of three intrasquad scrimmages Tuesday at Husky Softball Stadium. The Purple team defeated the Gold team, 3-0, after getting their first run on the board in unconventional fashion.

As part of purple-and-gold week, the Huskies are divided into two teams and compete against each other in drills throughout practice on Monday, with the winner earning a run to start the scrimmages. Despite losing to the Gold team in the bunting contest on Monday, the Purple team got the upper hand in the line drive and cupcake decorating contests and opened Tuesday’s scrimmage with a 1-0 lead before the first pitch was thrown.

As it would turn out, the Purple team would only need the one run. Senior Bryana Walker tossed 5.0 scoreless innings, holding the Gold team to just one hit, a single by sophomore Dani Braun in the 4th inning. The magnitude of the victory was not lost on Walker, who finished with 7 strikeouts.

“We’re all really competitive,” Walker said. “You have bragging rights the rest of the year if you win Purple-and-Gold week. This is pretty important to us.”

With their initial run earned from the intrasqaud competitions already on the board, senior Victoria Hayward scored the Purple team’s other two runs. Hayward doubled leading off the 3rd against senior Kaitlin Inglesby and scored on a base-hit from freshman Ali Aguilar. Then leading off the top of the 5th, Hayward reached 1st base on a bunt, stole 2nd, and scored on a Hooch Fagaly single.

For Hayward, getting two hits off the senior All-American Inglesby was a bit of good-natured revenge for numerous instrasquad matchups that have gone in the pitcher’s favor.

“It’s funny facing Kaitlin so many times throughout the years, but I was just trying to stick to a plan, go for it, and just have confidence in myself,” Hayward said. “Kaitlin’s gotten me out a fair number of times, so I’m just trying to even the series.”

Senior Whitney Jones, the captain of the Gold team, said her team is not lacking for motivation in trying to bounce back in game two of the best-of-three series on Wednesday.

“This means a lot,” Jones said. “I’m kind of ticked off right now that we lost. We need to come back and get some wins.”