April 1, 2001
STANFORD, Calif. - Sophomore pitcher Dana Sorensen pitched a three-hitter with 14 strikeouts and junior first baseman Sarah Beeson homered to give the No. 5 Stanford softball team a 4-1 win over No. 15 Washington in a Pacific-10 Conference game on Sunday afternoon at Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium. With the win, the Cardinal moves to 32-3-1 on the year and 2-1 in the Pac-10 while the Huskies fall to 24-12 (2-1 in conference play).
Sorensen fanned seven of the first nine batters, including five straight to start the game. She picked up her 200th strikeout of the season in the top of the fourth and has already broken the single season record of 186 with her 206 Ks this year. On Sunday, she walked none and allowed three hits to improve her record to 17-1. Sorensen gave up three hits, including a home run to UW's Kelly Hauxhurst in the fourth to snap her scoreless inning streak at 49.
The Cardinal took a 1-0 lead in the first. Junior Robin Walker led off the game with a base hit, advanced to second on Jessica Mendoza's walk and moved to third when Beeson was hit by a pitch. Then Cassi Brangham reached on an error by UW's shortstop, scoring Walker. But that was the only run Stanford would get as it ended the inning with the bases loaded. The Cardinal stranded 10 runners in the game.
In the third inning, Stanford extended its lead with Beeson's home run to center field. The solo shot was her eighth of the year. Freshman Jessica Allister kept the rally going with a double to the right center field wall and Brangham followed with a base hit up the middle. Then Maureen LeCocq's bouncer back to the pitcher wasn't fielded cleanly, allowing Allister to score for a 3-0 Stanford lead. The Cardinal scored its final run in the sixth inning when senior Ramona Shelburne led off with a bunt for a base hit. She moved to third on two walks and Kira Ching's sacrifice fly scored Shelburne.
Sorensen, who had allowed one hit until the final inning, ran into some trouble in the seventh. Washington's Jaime Clark singled to left and Amanda Oleson reached on a fielder's choice. Then Christie Rosenblad singled through the right side to have the bases loaded with one out. But Sorensen got Kim DePaul to foul out to third and ended the game by striking out pinch hitter Shawna Norris. Washington pitcher Shannon Walsh took the loss to fall to 2-9. She gave up five hits and struck out five while walking six.
Pac-10 play continues next weekend when the Cardinal hosts Oregon on Friday at 2:00 p.m. and No. 14 Oregon State on Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.).
Score by Innings1234567R H E #15 Washington00001001 3 2 #5 Stanford102001x4 5 1 WP - Dana Sorensen (17-1) to Jessica Allister. LP - Shannon Walsh (2-9) to Amy Hanson. Save - None. 2B - Jessica Allister (STAN). 3B - None. HR - Sarah Beeson (STAN), Kelly Hauxhurst (UW). E - Jaime Clark (UW), Shannon Walsh (UW), Dana Sorensen (STAN). LOB - UW 3, Stanford 10. Records: UW 24-12 (2-1), Stanford 32-3-1 (2-1).