March 12, 2001
TAMPA, Fla. - Sarah Beeson's single down the first base line in the bottom of the eighth scored Jessica Mendoza, giving the No. 5 Stanford softball team a 1-0 win over No. 23 Wisconsin in the semifinals of the Speedline Invitational, hosted by University of South Florida, at USF Softball Complex. The Cardinal improves to 27-2-1 while the Badgers fall to 12-9.
Stanford, now 6-1 in the tournament, advances to the championship game against Texas Tech, scheduled for 2:00 p.m. (EST) this afternoon.
With the international tie breaker in effect (runner placed on second base to start inning), Beeson's line drive to first base was slowed down by Wisconsin's first baseman, but not enough to keep it from going into shallow right field, allowing Mendoza to score from second. It was the Cardinal's first extra inning game of the year.
The pitcher's dual between Stanford's Dana Sorensen and Wisconsin's Andrea Kirchberg was a battle throughout the game. Sorensen retired the first 13 Badgers before allowing a walk. Stanford was able to get seven hits off of Kirchberg, but never more than two hits in an inning until the seventh. Sorensen, who allowed two hits, improved to 14-1 with the win, while striking out seven and walking one.
Both teams had opportunities to score in the game. Stanford's best chance came in the bottom of the seventh when Cassi Brangham and Michelle Thiry both singled. With runners on first and second and no outs, Kirchberg retired the next three batters. Ramona Shelburne popped up a bunt, then Robin Walker and Mendoza both flied out.
In the sixth, Beeson doubled to the right centerfield gap to lead off the inning. Jessica Draemel went in as a pinch runner and stole third, but Kirchberg forced a fly out and two pop-ups to end the threat.
The Cardinal missed out on an early scoring chance in the second inning. Jessica Allister singled, and Jenni Shideler and Brangham both walked to have the bases loaded with one out. But Kirchberg struck out Thiry and got Shelburne to ground out.
The Badgers had chances to get on the scoreboard in the seventh and eighth. They led off the seventh with a single, but Sorensen got their clean-up hitter to ground into a double play and forced a ground out to end the inning. In the extra inning, the Badger runner advanced to third but a pop out and a strikeout would end the inning.
Score by Innings12345678R H E #23 Wisconsin 000000000 2 0 #5 Stanford000000011 7 0 WP - Dana Sorensen (14-1) to Jessica Allister. LP - Andrea Kirchberg (9-5) to Meghann Reiss. Save - None. 2B - Sarah Beeson (STAN). 3B - None. HR - None. E - None. LOB - Wisconsin 3, Stanford 8. Records: Wisconsin 12-9, Stanford 27-2-1.