TEMPE, Ariz. - The No. 3 Stanford softball team hit seven home runs and Maureen LeCocq pitched a complete game shutout as the Cardinal picked up two wins over No. 8 Arizona State in Pacific-10 Conference action on Sunday afternoon at Farrington Stadium. The first game, which was a make-up from Saturday night's rain out, was a 6-0 win while the Cardinal took the second game 7-2. Stanford is now 42-6-1 overall and 9-3 in the Pac-10 while ASU is 30-14 and 5-6 in conference play.
In Game 1, LeCocq pitched her fifth shutout and eighth complete game in earning the win. She took a no-hitter into the fourth and allowed five hits in the game. No runner advanced past second base as LeCocq improves to 13-5. She had one strikeout and one walk.
Jessica Mendoza gave the Cardinal a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when she hit her team-leading 13th home run of the year. The line drive cleared the 210-foot centerfield fence, and also tied her career best in homers, which she set last year as a sophomore.
In the fourth, Stanford got its second solo home run of the game, this time, it was from Jessica Allister. The freshman catcher roped the 1-1 pitch over the left field fence for her second round-tripper of the year and a 2-0 lead.
Stanford opened up its lead in the fifth. Walker drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on Mendoza's sacrifice. Sarah Beeson was then intentionally walked to set up Kira Ching's RBI single through the left side. Allister followed with a double to the right centerfield wall, which chased ASU's pitcher Kristen Swetel. Kirsten Voak came in and got the Sun Devils out of the jam with two strikeouts.
The seventh inning saw the Cardinal string together four consecutive hits and rally for two more runs. Beeson, who was playing in front of her hometown crowd, started things with the third home run of the game. Her 10th homer of the year was a line drive to right. Ching and Allister hit back-to-back doubles and Cassi Brangham singled up the middle for Stanford's final run.
Swetel, who came back in to pitch the final two innings, took the loss to fall to 4-2. She gave up six runs on nine hits with three walks and no strikeouts.
In the first game, the Cardinal had nine hits, including three homers and three doubles. Allister was 3-for-4 with a pair of two-baggers and three RBI while Ching went 2-for-4 with a double and a homer. Beeson scored twice and Mendoza had a run and an RBI.
In Game 2, the Cardinal jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Beeson drew a two out walk and Ching hit her fourth home run of the year.
ASU tied the game 2-2 in the fourth inning. Erica Beach and Shiloh Talanoa both had singles and Voak was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Tori Nyberg got two groundouts, but ASU's leadoff hitter, Missy Hixon, hit a line drive up the middle to score their only two runs of the day.
Stanford answered back in the top of the fifth when Thiry led off the inning with a solo home run to left. It was her second homer of the year and put the Cardinal up 3-2.
One inning later, Stanford extended its lead to 6-2 on back-to-back homers from Ching and Allister. Beeson led off with a walk, then Ching crushed a 1-1 pitch to left center field for her second homer of the game. Allister followed with a shot to left, her second four-bagger of the day, which chased Voak, the starting pitcher. Beach came on in relief and got the Sun Devils out of the jam with a strikeout and two groundouts.
The Cardinal added one more run in the seventh on Beeson's RBI-double to right center. Jessica Draemel drew a leadoff walk and Mendoza also reached on a walk to set up Beeson's team leading 15th double of the year.
In the circle for the Cardinal in the second game, Tori Nyberg picked up her fifth win of the year. She pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing five hits while striking out three and walking one. Nyberg, who relieved starter Jaime Forman-Lau in the second, is now 5-0.
The Cardinal is next in action on Wednesday, April 25, when it hosts Saint Mary's in a non-conference doubleheader. Pac-10 play continues on Friday with a single game at No. 13 Washington and a pair of games at top-ranked UCLA on the weekend.
GAME 1 - Stanford 6, Arizona State 0 Score by Innings1234567R H E #3 Stanford10012026 9 0 #8 Arizona State00000000 5 0WP - Maureen LeCocq (13-5) to Jessica Allister. LP - Kristen Swetel (4-2) to Stacey Farnworth. Save - None. 2B - Jessica Allister (STAN) 2, Kira Ching (STAN). 3B - None. HR - Jessica Mendoza (STAN), Jessica Allister (STAN), Sarah Beeson (STAN). E - None. LOB - Stanford 7, Arizona State 5. Records: Stanford 41-6-1 (8-3), Arizona State 30-13 (5-5).
GAME 2 - Stanford 7, Arizona State 2 Score by Innings1234567R H E #3 Stanford20001317 5 0 #8 Arizona State00020002 5 1WP - Tori Nyberg (5-0) to Jessica Allister. LP - Kirsten Voak (12-6) to Stacey Farnworth. Save - None. 2B - Sarah Beeson (STAN). 3B - None. HR - Kira Ching (STAN) 2, Michelle Thiry (STAN), Jessica Allister (STAN). E - None. LOB - Stanford x, Arizona State x. Records: Stanford 42-6-1 (9-3), Arizona State 30-14 (5-6).="">="">