May 30, 2013
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Kimberlee Souza’s walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning led the No. 11 Huskies to a 4-3 win over No. 14 Nebraska in game one of the WCWS at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Thursday afternoon.
At 44-15, the Huskies will advance to Friday’s 4 p.m. PT game against the winner of Tennessee and Florida. Nebraska (45-15) plays Saturday at 9 a.m. PT in an elimination game.
Washington is now 4-0 in extra inning games on the year and earned its first win at the WCWS since winning the national championship in 2009.
Both teams got on the board in the first inning as Gabby Banda scored on a sac fly for the Huskers against Bryana Walker. The UW junior pitcher from La Quinta, Calif., allowed two runs on one hit in 3.0 innings of work for the no decision.
Junior Kaitlin Inglesby (Portland, Ore.) started the game as the designated player and hit a two-run home run in the first to give the UW a 2-1 lead. Junior Victoria Hayward (Mountain View, Calif.) also scored on the bomb to left center after reaching base on a walk.
Both teams had plenty of chances to score as Washington was walked eight times and each team had an error. With the bases loaded in the third, a double play and a pop out got Nebraska out of the jam.
The first hit for Nebraska was a single to left by Taylor Edwards to lead off the fourth. After a walk, Inglesby entered to replace Walker in the circle. A sac bunt advanced the runners and the tying run scored on a Husky error. Brooke Thomason rounded third in an attempt to give Nebraska the lead, but Hooch Fagaly made a great throw to Shawna Wright at the plate to keep the game tied at 2-2.
The starting pitcher for Nebraska, Tatum Edwards scored on wild pitch with two outs in the fifth to give the Huskers a 3-2 lead. Tatum Edwards pitched 4.0 innings and earned a no decision.
With the bases loaded again for the Huskies in the fifth, freshman pitcher Emily Lockman (15-6) got the Huskies to groundout and then struck out Kylee Lahners and Souza to end the inning.
Down to their final two outs, Hayward tripled to right in the seventh and a sac bunt by Fagaly drove her in to send the game to extras.
Inglesby (23-7) got the win in relief, allowing one run on four hits in the final 5.0 innings of work.
Courtesy of Washington Sports Information
