Box Score BERKELEY, Calif. -- After falling behind early to Cal Saturday afternoon in the second game of the series, Washington exploded for five runs in the third frame en route to a 9-6 victory over the Golden Bears.
With the victory, Washington pushes its overall record to 37-12 while improving to 8-8 in the Pac-12. Cal falls to 33-13 overall and 6-11 in the league with its loss.
Sophomore Casey Stangel tossed her fifth complete game of the season while helping her own cause at the plate, recording a pair of RBI. Freshman Taylor Van Zee, sophomore Ali Aguilar and junior Courtney Gano also recorded two RBI in the game to lead the team. Washington recorded 15 hits in the contest and has now posted double-digit hits in 26 games this season.
Similar to yesterday's game, Cal took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Bears hit a lead off single then stole second and advanced to third when the throw down found its way into center field. The next batter then roped a single into right to score the first run of the game.
After the Husky bats were kept at bay through two innings, Cal managed to score another run in the bottom of the second. The Bears drew a lead off walk, advanced on a wild pitch and used a bunt to put a runner sixty feet away from home plate. An RBI groundout brought that run in to give Cal the early 2-0 lead. Following the run, the Bears used an error and a walk to load the bases before Stangel induced a fly out to escape that jam unscathed.
Washington took advantage of the momentum stop to pounce on offense in the third, sending 10 batters to the plate. Junior Jennie McNeill drew a one-out walk and back-to-back singles by senior Kylee Lahners and Van Zee loaded the bases. Then, with two outs, Gano tied the game, hitting a single to score McNeill and Lahners. The Huskies took the lead in the next at-bat after Stangel delivered a two-RBI double to put the Huskies on top, 4-2.
The inning continued as junior Kimberlee Souza hit her second single of the day to advance Stangel to third. Senior Kelli Suguro then knocked home her 30th RBI of the season as her hit up the middle scored Stangel and gave the Huskies a 5-2 lead.
After a pair of strikeouts by Stangel highlighted the third, the Huskies added to their lead in the fourth. McNeill led off the inning with a single, which prompted a Cal pitching change as starter Katie Sutherland-Finch was replaced with Stephanie Trzcinski. After McNeill advanced to second on a groundout, she scored off Van Zee's RBI single to put the Dawgs up, 6-2.
Cal responded in the bottom half of the inning, drawing a lead off walk and hitting a two-run home run to trim their deficit to just two runs, 6-4.
After a scoreless fifth frame, Washington scored three more runs in the sixth, which proved to be pivotal. Lahners started the rally, drawing her 47th walk of the season before Van Zee's third hit of the night, a double, brought her home. Aguilar then sent a two-run home run to right field to surge Washington into a 9-4 lead. That blast was Aguilar's 13th of the season.
Cal responded in the sixth, hitting a one-out double and scoring off a single, but that was all as Stangel, again, regained her composure to induce a fly out to end the inning.
Washington threatened again in the seventh, using a trio of singles by Suguro, pinch hitter Trysten Melhart and McNeill to load the bases but three straight pop ups ended the inning.
After the Bears hit a solo home run to lead off the seventh, Stangel got down to business and sat the next three batters down in order to propel the Huskies to a 9-6 win and even the series at one game apiece.
Washington and Cal will play the series finale tomorrow (April 26). First pitch is set for 12 p.m.
