March 26, 2004
Stanford, Calif. - Sophomore pitcher Laura Severson picked up her ninth win of the season as the 12th-ranked Stanford softball team defeated UC Riverside this evening at the Stanford Classic in Boyd and Jill Smith Family Stadium. The Cardinal improve to 24-7 on the year while the Highlanders fall to 8-26.
Stanford scored first as Jessical Allister led off the second inning with a single up the middle. Shoney Hixson then pinch ran for Allister. Leah Nelson singled through the left side to advance Hixson and she scored on a single by Michelle Thiry.
The Highlanders countered with a run in the top of the sixth to tie things up on a homerun by Melissa Sanchez.
The Cardinal regained the lead in the bottom of the inning as Catalina Morris got things started with a single up the middle. Lauren Lappin singled down the leftfield line to put Morris on second. Allister singled to load the bases. Meghan Sickler then singled through the right side to score Morris. Stanford scored an insurance run as Nelson hit a sacrifice fly to rightfield to bring home Lappin.
Laura Severson (9-4) went the distance for the Cardinal, allowing eight hits over seven innings of work with one run scored and seven strikeouts (no walks). Courtney Nix took the loss for UC Riverside, allowing three runs on nine hits over five innings.
Jessica Allister went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead Stanford while Meghan Sickler, Leah Nelson and Michelle Thiry each collected an RBI for the squad.
The Cardinal are back in action tomorrow at the Stanford Classic, facing Illinois at 2 p.m. and BYU at 4 p.m.