March 6, 2008
Stanford, Calif. - Senior Michelle Smith cracked a game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh inning, bailing the No. 7/9 Cardinal softball team out of a bind today in the opener of the Stanford Classic. The senior third baseman scored Maddy Coon from third, and the squad slipped by Campbell, 2-1. Stanford improves to 22-2 with the win, and will play five more games this weekend.
Junior pitcher Missy Penna pitched one of the best games of her career. The Miami, Fla. native struck out seven batters on her first time through the lineup, and finished with a season-high 15 for the game. The performance was the second-best of Penna's career, and just one short of the school-record 16 strikeouts she recorded against Northwestern last February. The junior ace gave up just three hits, and picked up her 14th win of the season.
Offensively, Coon went 3-for-4 with her team-leading seventh double of the year. Sophomore Alissa Haber recorded her team-leading eighth multi-hit game of the year with two hits, and reached on three of her four plate appearances. Sophomore Rosey Neill recorded a hit in the second inning to extend her career-long hitting streak to eight games. Stanford put runners on in every inning and outhit Campbell, 9-3, but stranded nine runners and had five thrown out on the base paths.
Stanford got its first good scoring chance in the bottom of the second, loading the bases with one out. Campbell held the Cardinal off, however, leaving the first three Stanford runners aboard. Fueled by their defensive stop, the Camels used the opportunity to score first. With two outs in the top of the third, left fielder Courtney Quinn took a Penna pitch deep over the left field fence, giving Campbell a 1-0 lead.
Stanford had opportunities in every inning from there on out, but waited until the very last minute to finally take advantage of them. In the bottom of the seventh, Haber walked, and was bunted to second by Tricia Aggabao. Coon then ripped a double to the gap in right center that scored Haber, and advanced to third on a miscue in the Camel outfield.
With Coon on third, Smith drilled her game-winning hit off the glove of the Campbell third baseman, securing Stanford's 22nd win of the season.
Stanford will play two more games as part of the Stanford Classic tomorrow. The Cardinal will take on College of Charleston and North Dakota State in a double-header beginning at 2 p.m. Campbell and College of Charleston will square off at 10 a.m. in the first of the day's five games at Smith Family Stadium.