Senior Taran Alvelo allowed six hits but no runs and earned her first save of the season in Washington's 8-2 win over No. 16 Baylor.
The No. 3 Washington softball team wrapped up its first weekend of the season in Mexico with its first ranked win of the year, an 8-2 victory over No. 16 Baylor in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.
The Bears made it close in the fifth inning, butting the UW lead from 3-0 to 3-2, but Senior Taran Alvelo got Lou Gilbert to strike out with the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second to end the frame with the lead still intact.
Alvelo earned the nine-out save, allowing six hits but no runs and striking out four.
Sophomore transfer Pat Moore got her second appearance and first start for the Huskies and kept the Bears in control for her first three innings. She allowed three hits, but an illegal stolen base attempt and a double play meant that she only needed to face 10 batters to get nine outs.
In the fifth, a walk and a mishandled fielder’s choice put a pair on and ended her outing, bringing on Alvelo. Both of Baylor’s runs ended up being charged to Moore (2-0), but she still ended up earning the win.
The game only remained close for a bit, as a sacrifice fly and a 2-RBI single by SilentRain Espinoza in the top of the sixth inning pushed the lead up to four runs.
Espinoza went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Fellow freshman Sami Reynolds went 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Senior Morganne Flores finished the damage in the top of the seventh with Washington’s first home run of the season, a two-run shot to left.
Washington struck first in the top of the second inning. Sophomore right fielder Nawai Kaupe reached on an error, then went to second on a wild pitch. A pitch later, Espinoza bounced a ball back up the middle to bring Kaupe home. Espinoza ended up on second after an error in center field on the play, but Washington couldn’t bring her home and settled for a 1-0 lead after two.
Two more came home in the top of the fourth on RBIs by Reynolds and Sis Bates.
Game 1
Before taking on Baylor, Washington opened its day against Liberty, dispatching the Flames 6-0 with a five-run fourth inning and a strong performance in the circle from its two aces.
Sophomore Gabbie Plain threw three no-hit innings out of the game, allowing just a pair of runners on a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Alvelo picked the reins up in the bottom of the fourth and saw the game out with four scoreless innings. She finally allowed the Flames into the hit column on a blooper with two outs in the top of the sixth inning, but pitched out of the jam before throwing a perfect seventh to seal the win.
Bates led the Huskies on offense, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs, including two on a bases-loaded single to cap off a fourth inning in which six straight Huskies reached base. Three other Dawgs logged RBIs.
The Huskies will stay in Mexico this week while Seattle freezes to compete in the second half of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge next weekend.
Reach Sports Editor Josh Kirshenbaum at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @J_Kirshenbaum
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