STOCKTON, Calif. -- The No. 7 Huskies picked up a pair of victories in the Libby Matson tournament on Saturday, albeit in very different fashion. After the entire first day of the tournament was rained out Friday, washing away two games for the Huskies, they took advantage of their opportunity to play a doubleheader Saturday.
The Huskies (15-2) defeated the San Jose State Spartans 1-0 in the first game of the day before knocking off the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners 9-0 in six innings later in the day.
Kaitlin Inglesby made her 5th start of the season in the first game of the day vs. San Jose State and tossed 5.0 shutout innings while striking out four but took a no-decision.
Bryana Walker (9-1) threw the final 2.0 innings and picked up the win to move to 9-1 on the season.
The Spartans (10-6) threatened to score in the top of the 3rd, as Devin Caldwell singled and stole 2nd base with one out. An out later, Jessie Hufstetler singled up the middle, but centerfielder Victoria Hayward picked up the ball and fired a strike to catcher Courtney Gano in time to prevent Caldwell from scoring.
San Jose rallied again with one on and nobody out in the top of the 4th inning, but once again, the Huskies defense came through. Alyssa Martinez hit a bouncing ball up the middle, but Huskies second baseman Jennie McNeill gloved it and flipped the ball to Ali Aguilar who finished the nifty double play with a strong throw to Hooch Fagaly at 1st base.
The Huskies scored the lone run of the ball game in the bottom of the 6th inning on an RBI-single by Inglesby, scoring Gano from 2nd base.
In the second game of the day, junior Kasey Stanchek put together one of the best outings of her career, holding the Roadrunners to just one hit over six shutout innings in her second start of the season. For Stanchek (2-0), it was her third complete-game shutout and her first since holding Notre Dame scoreless for 7.0 innings on March 16, 2012.
Stanchek also allowed the fewest hits in a complete-game in her career, surpassing her previous mark of three hits, which she had done three times. Her most recent three-hit, complete-game performance was March 24, 2012 vs. Utah.
“It felt great,” Stanchek said. “It was nice to be able to get into a rhythm and work with Courtney [Gano] to get ahead of batters and make them swing at the pitches that I wanted to throw.”
The Huskies took a 1-0 lead over Cal St. Bakersfield in the top of the 5th inning on a solo home run from Fagaly, her second round-tripper of the season. An inning later, the Huskies broke the game open with an 8-run 5th inning.
Eight of the first nine Huskies batters reached base, starting with a leadoff double by Kylee Lahners. Two batters later, Whitney Jones hit a two-run double to give the Huskies a 3-0 lead.
With the bases loaded and one out, Bridget Raftery came to the plate to pinch-hit for Inglesby. Raftery took the second pitch she saw and drove it over the fence for a grand-slam home run, giving the Huskies a 9-0. It was her first collegiate home run, not to mention her first collegiate grand-slam home run.
