April 10, 2001
FRESNO, Calif. - The No. 4 Stanford softball team split games with No. 13 Fresno State on Tuesday night in a non-conference doubleheader at Bulldog Diamond. The Cardinal won the first game 2-0 but came up short in the second game, 1-0. Stanford is now 36-4-1 while the Bulldogs are 29-13.
In Game 2, the Bulldogs scored their only run in the second. Alicia Dowland reached on an error to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a Pam Perez single. Lori Hoffman then drove in Dowland with a base hit up the middle.
In the seventh, Ramona Shelburne led off with a single down the left field line and Robin Walker bunted her to second. But Fresno State pitcher Leslie Poole got both Jessica Mendoza and Sarah Beeson to ground out to short to end the game.
Stanford had its best opportunity to score in the sixth inning. Cassi Brangham, who was playing in front of her hometown crowd, started the two-out rally with a single up the middle. Michelle Thiry then reached on a fielding error by the shortstop. A base hit up the middle by Jenni Shideler advanced the runners, but Fresno State center fielder Becky Witt threw a perfect strike to the plate to get Brangham at home for the third out.
The Cardinal had runners in scoring position in the first and again in the fifth. Beeson hit a two-out double over the right fielder's head in the bottom of the first and Kira Ching moved her to third with a base hit to right. But Jessica Allister flied out to end the inning. In the fifth, Shelburne had a bloop hit to left and Mendoza drew a two-out walk, but Beeson grounded into a fielder's choice.
In the circle, Maureen LeCocq pitched six innings, giving up five hits and striking out two. She took the loss to fall to 11-3. The Bulldog run was unearned. Fresno State's Poole pitched her fifth consecutive shutout to earn the win and improve to 15-5.
Stanford had eight hits, as Brangham and Shelburne both went 2-for-3. Four other Cardinals had one hit apiece.
In Game 1, the Cardinal scored two runs in the fifth inning and Dana Sorensen pitched a two-hit shutout.
The Cardinal scored its only runs of the game in the fifth. The inning was a wild one in that two of the outs were made on run downs from third to home, and both runs were unearned. Michelle Thiry led off with a single but was forced out at second on Ramona Shelburne's fielder's choice. Robin Walker followed with a base hit and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Jessica Mendoza's line drive up the middle was knocked down by Fresno State's pitcher and Shelburne got caught in a run down at third base. Mendoza advanced to second on the play and Walker ended up on third.
The Bulldogs then intentionally walked Sarah Beeson to load the bases for Kira Ching. With two outs, Ching's liner to right was dropped by the right fielder, enabling Walker and Mendoza to score. But Beeson got caught in a pickle coming home and was tagged for the third out to end the inning.
In the circle, Dana Sorensen allowed just two hits while striking out nine and walking none. With the win, she improves to 20-1 on the year. Sorensen allowed just three base runners in the game (none after the third inning), and she retired the last 12 Bulldog batters in order.
Fresno State's Lori Hoffman took the loss. She struck out the first four Stanford batters and had seven Ks in the game. She falls to 8-7 on the year.
Mendoza was the only Cardinal with multiple hits in the game. She went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
The Cardinal returns to Pacific-10 Conference play this Friday when it hosts No. 5 Cal for a 3:00 p.m. game. On Saturday, the two teams will play a doubleheader at Berkeley beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Game 1 Score by Innings1234567R H E #4 Stanford00002002 7 1 #13 Fresno State00000000 2 1
WP - Dana Sorensen (20-1) and Jessica Allister. LP - Lori Hoffman (8-7) and Pam West. Save - None. 2B - None. 3B - None. HR - None. E - Sarah Beeson (STAN), Mitzi Ing (FSU). LOB - Stanford 6, Fresno State 3. Records: Stanford 36-3-1, Fresno State 28-13.Game 2 Score by Innings1234567R H E #4 Stanford00000000 8 2 #13 Fresno State010000x1 5 1WP - Leslie Poole (15-5) and Pam West. LP - Maureen LeCocq (11-3) and Jessica Allister. Save - None. 2B - None. 3B - None. HR - None. E - Jenni Shideler (STAN) 2, Alicia Dowland (FSU). LOB - Stanford 9, Fresno State 7. Records: Stanford 36-4-1, Fresno State 29-13.