May 18, 2008
Amherst, Mass. - After suffering a frustrating loss to start Championship Sunday, the 12th-seeded Cardinal softball team needed to not only bounce back quickly, but bring its very best. Within 30 minutes of its setback, Missy Penna and the Cardinal were playing again, facing No. 20/22 Massachusetts in a rainy must-win game at the UMass Softball Complex with the regional title at stake.
With its back against the wall, however, the Cardinal simply unleashed. Stanford defeated Massachusetts, 6-0, to claim the Amherst Regional title and earn a ticket to next weekend's NCAA Super Regionals.
After committing two errors and allowing five hits in the first game of the day, Penna was on fire in the second. The Stanford ace stepped up to throw her second no-hitter of the year, fanning nine UMass batters in her fourth complete game in less than 72 hours. Meanwhile, Stanford pounded UMass pitcher Brandice Balschmiter with 11 hits, the most the NCAA ERA leader has allowed all year. Rosey Neill ripped three of those hits to pace Stanford's aggressive offense, and bashed her 19th homer of the year in the fifth inning to match the school's single-season homerun record.
Stanford improves to 49-13 with the win and will make its third NCAA Super Regional appearance in four years next weekend against No. 5 seed Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. Massachusetts ends its season with a 42-13 record.
In her fourth game in three days, Penna provided arguably her best performance of the weekend. Her no-hitter was the fourth of her career and her first since throwing one in the season-opener at San Diego on Feb. 8. The Cardinal ace improves to 37-11 with the win, while Balschmiter finishes her impressive junior season with a 31-8 mark. Penna's 37 wins are a school record, as are her 411 strikeouts. The junior recorded her 400th K of the year in the first game of the day, becoming just the eighth player in Pac-10 history, and the first at Stanford, to register 400 strikeouts in a single season.
In a series between the Minutewomen and Cardinal that saw each its first two games decided in the top of the first inning, the deciding game proved no different. Stanford jumped on Balschmiter right away, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning, including what proved to be the game-winner.
Sophomore Alissa Haber, the first batter of the game, reached on an error and was bunted to second by Shannon Koplitz. Maddy Coon then stepped up and drilled a double to the wall in right field, driving in Haber for the crucial first run. After Coon took third on a wild pitch, Neill tagged her first of three hits, driving an RBI single to center field. Pinch runner Michelle Schroeder stole second on the next at bat, and advanced to third on an ensuing ground out. Senior Erin Howe extended the rally, drilling an RBI single up the middle to give Stanford a 3-0 lead.
In the second inning, Stanford continued its offensive push. With two outs, Haber singled through the right side, took second on a passed ball, and scored on Koplitz' first hit of the game, another single through the right side.
In the fifth inning, Stanford all but put the game out of reach. Neill stepped up and belted homerun No. 19 to right center field to set the tone. The blast tied the school record teammate Michelle Smith set in 2005. Notably, Neill's bomb was just the second of the season off of Balschmiter.
After Neill's long ball, the Cardinal continued to fight. Smith walked and advanced to third on a double to right field by Howe. With one out, senior Tricia Aggabao cracked her second sacrifice fly in as many games to score Smith from third.
With the win, Stanford claimed the school's fifth regional title, and third since the tournament was structured to include Super Regionals in 2005.
Stanford will meet Texas A&M on Saturday in College Station at 8 p.m. (CT). The Cardinal will play a three-game series with the Aggies for a berth in the 2008 Women's College World Series.