Washington opens Pac-12 play with a 5-2 victory over Arizona State

The Washington Huskies earned a 5-2 victory over Arizona State on Friday to start Pac-12 play off on the right foot.

The Washington Huskies started the final season of Pac-12 softball off on the right foot, earning a 5-2 victory over the Arizona State Sun Devils inside Husky Softball Stadium on Friday night.

Sophomore Ruby Meylan got off to a slow start in the circle, allowing a home run to Kelsey Hall in the first inning which was followed up by an RBI groundout from Sara Kinch in the second, but settled in after that. She ended up throwing her seventh complete game of the season, allowing 7 hits and 1 walk, but striking out 9.

Offensively, the Huskies responded quickly after falling behind 2-0 in the second inning. A 2 RBI single from Brooke Nelson evened the score as part of a 2 for 3 day for the graduate student from Bonney Lake, Washington.

Junior Kinsey Fiedler put the Huskies ahead for good with a 2 RBI single of her own in the fifth inning to give coach Heather Tarr’s team a 4-2 lead. Fielder also went 2 for 3 on the day, overtaking grad transfer Jillian Celis as the team’s leader in batting average with her performance.

Celis still reached base three times in the win, going 1 for 1 with a single and walking twice. She also added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning for her 25th RBI of the season.

Washington has two more matchups with the Sun Devils this weekend, beginning on Saturday at 2:00 and finishing up on Sunday at noon.