GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Washington earned a hard-fought 4-3 win against Florida in Game 2 of their super regional on Sunday to force a deciding Game 3. The series is now tied at one game apiece with the winner advancing to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Kaitlin Inglesby threw seven outstanding innings in the circle to pick up her 16th win of the season. Inglesby also hit the game-wining two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth, giving the Huskies the 4-3 lead they would not relinquish.
The Huskies had to fend off the Gators throughout the game.
Playing as the visitors, the Gators took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a leadoff walk and double.
The Huskies answered back in the bottom of the second. Whitney Jones reached base and advanced to second base on an error. One batter later, Kelli Suguro drove a two-out single up the middle to score Jones and knot the score at 1. For Suguro, it was her first postseason RBI in 15 NCAA tournament appearances.
With Gators on second and third and two outs in the third, Florida left fielder Briana Little drove a ball into the left-center field gap, but Jones raced over to make the catch and prevent two runs from scoring.
The Gators threatened again in the fourth, putting runners on first and second with one out. But Inglesby once again worked out of the jam. Jennie McNeill snared a line drive down the third-base line for the second out, and Ali Aguilar gloved a slow roller and made a strong throw to first to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, it was Jones again that got the Huskies on the board. With two outs, Jones lined a double and scored on a bouncing single through the right side from Dani Braun, giving the Huskies their first lead of the super regionals, 2-1.
Florida took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth on a two-run home run. But the Huskies bounced right back in the bottom of the inning. With Marki Creger-Zier on third base after a leadoff single and two stolen bases, Inglesby got a shot at redemption. Inglesby drove a 1-1 pitch out of the park to give the Huskies a 4-3 lead. It was Inglesby’s seventh home run of the season and third in 23 postseason appearances.
The Gators put the Huskies' lead in jeopardy in the sixth, putting runners on second and third with one out. But Inglesby did not back down from attacking the Florida batters, and the defense behind her came through again.
Suguro fielded a bloop hit in the infield and threw home to Braun at the plate for the second out of the inning. With runners on the corners and one out, Victoria Hayward tracked down a ball in deep center field and hauled it in with a leap, once again snuffing out the Gators rally.
Related:
• Florida takes Game 1 of super regional
