Feb. 29, 2008
Fullerton, Calif. - Freshman Melisa Koutz came up with two timely hits and a key sacrifice fly, leading the No. 8/10 Cardinal softball team to its 18th win of the year tonight at the Worth Invitational in Fullerton. The Cardinal of Stanford bested the Cardinals of Louisville, 9-1, in six innings, improving to 18-1 on the year.
Koutz went 2-for-3 and recorded her third four-RBI game of the year. Senior Tricia Aggabao scored three times and had two hits in the game to help Stanford outhit Louisville, 7-4.
Junior pitcher Missy Penna earned her 12th win of the year, striking out 13 batters and not allowing an earned run. The Cardinal has now run-ruled eight opponents this season, already equaling last year's total.
Louisville scored first, putting an unearned run across in the bottom of the first inning. Penna struck out Melissa Roth, the leadoff Louisville batter, but the Cardinals' catcher reached on a passed ball on the play. A walk and a single loaded the bases with one out, and Roth scored on an infield single by Kassie Stanfill. Penna managed to fan three more batters to retire the side and finish with a rare four-strikeout inning. Her second K marked her 100th of the season, and later in the game, her tenth moved her into second place on the all-time career strikeout chart.
Stanford catcher Rosey Neill answered for the Cardinal, belting her team-leading sixth homerun of the year in the top of the second to knot the game at one. With 13 career homers, Neill now stands ninth on Stanford's all-time chart.
In the third inning, Stanford finally got its offense rolling, using three runs to break the game open and take the lead for good. Anna Beardman singled to lead off the inning, and Alissa Haber walked to put another runner on. Aggabao reached on a fielder's choice, but Beardman was called safe at third to load the bases. With one out, Beardman scored on another fielder's choice, this time off the bat of Michelle Smith. Koutz then ripped a double to left center, scoring Aggabao and Smith.
Stanford added to its lead in the fifth inning, capitalizing on two Louisville errors to score three runs. Aggabao singled, Maddy Coon was hit by a pitch and Smith reached on the first Louisville error to load the bases for Koutz. The freshman came through once again, cracking an RBI single to right field. Coon scored Stanford's sixth run when Shannon Koplitz reached on the second error of the inning, and Smith scored the team's seventh run on a bases-loaded walk earned by Erin Howe.
Stanford put the finishing touches on to its lead in the sixth inning. Aggabao singled to start things off, reached second on an error by the Louisville outfield and scored on a double by Coon. In her third critical at bat of the game, Koutz hit a sacrifice fly to score Coon, recorded her fourth RBI of the night and put Stanford in position to end the game early.
Penna notched her 12th and 13th K's in the bottom of the sixth, and retired the Cardinals in order to end the game.
Stanford returns to the field tomorrow, meeting Texas Tech in a 1:30 p.m. contest and Purdue in a 6 p.m. contest. The Cardinal wraps up play against No. 5/7 Florida on Sunday.