March 23, 1999
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
STANFORD, Calif. - The Portland State softball team (5-20) has had a tough time beating Stanford because it has had a problem getting hits. In fact, over the first two games between the teams, Portland State went hitless. At the Cal State Fullerton tournament on Mar. 7, Becky Blevins tossed a 5-inning no-hitter at the Vikings. In today's first game, senior Marcy Crouch went a step further. A right-hander from Huntington Beach, Calif., Crouch alowed no Viking batters to reach base as she pitched a perfect game in the 1-0, nine-inning victory. Portland State finally broke through with a hit in the second game as Stephanie Hagen singled in the first inning. The Vikings eventually had six hits in that game, but still lost to the Cardinal by a 3-0 score.
While the Vikings had trouble getting hits in game one, it was the eighth-ranked Cardinal (23-4) who had trouble scoring a run. Despite getting 10 hits, it was a case of missed oportunites as Stanford left 15 runners on base. Finally, with one out in the ninth inning, the Cardinal scored the winning run. After Kellie Wiginton led off the ninth with a base hit and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Michelle Schneider, freshman Sarah Beeson singled home Wiginton with the winning run.
It was much of the same in game two as the teams went scoreless for the first six innings. Even the game-winning rally was the same for the Cardinal. With one out, Wiginton singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Robin Walker. After freshman Jessica Mendoza was intentionally walked, Beeson was the hero again. This time, a deep home run to right center by Beeson brought home the winning run.
Unbelievable as it may seem, the perfect game by Crouch (12-3) was her third this season. Crouch tossed five-inning perfect games against South Carolina (Feb. 28) and Auburn (Mar. 5) earlier this year. Today's outting, however, was her most impressive as she struck out 10 batters on the way to retiring all 27 Vikings.