April 9, 2004
Berkeley, Calif. - Senior catcher Jessica Allister went 3-for-3 at the plate with three doubles as the ninth-ranked Stanford softball team defeated No. 5 California this afternoon, 5-3, in Berkeley. The Cardinal improve to 30-8, 3-1 in the Pac-10 while the Golden Bears fall to 33-6, 1-3 in conference action.
Cal got on the board first scoring two in the bottom of the fourth off of a homerun by Kaleo Eldredge.
Stanford got one run back in the top of the sixth as Catalina Morris singled then stole second. With two outs, Jessica Allister doubled down the leftfield line to score Morris.
In the top of the seventh, Leah Nelson hit a towering homerun to centerfield to lead off the inning and tie up the game. But the Cardinal were not done yet. Lindsay Key singled up the middle and Jacki Hansen pinch ran for her. Hansen advanced to second on a wild pitch then Jackie Rinehart walked after a California pitching change. Pinch hitter Michelle Thiry reached on a fielders choice to load the bases. Morris then doubled to bring home Hansen and Rinehart. A sacrifice fly by Lauren Lappin put another run on the board for the Cardinal and gave them a comfortable 5-2 lead.
Cal scored one more run in the bottom of the seventh on a solo homer by Chelsea Spencer t o make the score 5-3.
Catalina Morris and Leah Nelson each collected two hits on the afternoon with Morris adding two RBI. Nelson and Allister tallied an RBI each.
Senior pitcher Dana Sorensen (18-4) picked up the win in the circle, scattering five hits and three runs over seven innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks. Kristina Thorson (15-1) took the loss for the Golden Bears, allowing three runs on seven hits in 6.1 innings of work.
Sorensen now has 990 career strikeouts and needs just 10 to become the first Cardinal pitcher to reach the 1,000 strikeout mark.
Stanford and California meet again tomorrow for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. at the Boyd and Jill Smith Family Stadium on the Stanford campus.