March 27, 2009
Stanford, Calif. - With the nation's longest winning streak on the line, the No. 3/3 Stanford softball team (29-2, 0-1 Pac-10) fell to No. 4/5 UCLA (26-4, 1-0 Pac-10) tonight in its Pac-10 opener, 7-4.
The Bruins took nine hits off of the Stanford pitching staff, three more than any team has all season. Meanwhile, the Cardinal offense came up with just four hits, with half of those off the bat of rookie Ashley Hansen. The Bruins became just the second team this year to outhit the Cardinal and handed Stanford its first loss since the opening day of the season.
Senior Missy Penna took the loss for Stanford, giving up eight hits and six earned runs in 6.1 innings of work. The six earned runs were the most any team has gotten off the All-American since May 19, 2007, when LSU posted nine runs in an NCAA Regional game. The eight hits were the most she has given up since the Cardinal met the Bruins last April. In the fourth inning, Penna struck out the 1,172nd batter of her career and became one of the Pac-10's 10 all-time strikeout leaders.
Sophomore Donna Kerr (15-3) was the winner for UCLA, going 5.1 innings and allowing two runs on just one hit. Both Penna and Kerr struck out five in the game. Junior Megan Langenfeld earned her second save of the year for the Bruins after throwing the final 1.2 innings.
Hansen went 2-for-4 in her first career Pac-10 game to lead Stanford offensively, while junior Shannon Koplitz had one hit and drove in two of the four Stanford runs. Sophomore Brittany Minder, who pinch hit in the seventh inning, had the team's only other hit.
The Bruins got two hits apiece from Amanda Kamekona, GiOnna DiSalvatore, Dani Yudin and Monica Harrison. Harrison, who ripped a three-run home run in the second, accounted for four of the seven Bruin RBI.
The loss was Stanford's first since Feb. 6 and ended the nation's longest 2009 winning streak at 28 games. The loss was the first at home for Stanford since the Bruins' last trip to The Farm last April.
The Bruins jumped out in front in the top of the second inning. After a walk put one runner on, Yudin singled to right field to set up an RBI opportunity for Harrison. The sophomore connected on Penna's 2-2 pitch, becoming just the second player this season to take the Cardinal ace deep. The home run, Harrison's sixth of the year, gave UCLA a 3-0 lead.
Stanford fought back within one in the bottom of the fourth inning, taking advantage when Kerr dished out three walks and hit a batter. Alissa Haber led off the inning by drawing the first walk and Hansen followed with Stanford's first hit of the night. After another walk loaded the bases, Maya Burns was hit by Kerr's first offering to nab an easy RBI. Sophomore Melisa Koutz drew a four-pitch walk on the next play to make it 3-2, but the Cardinal couldn't extend the rally and left the bases loaded.
After a scoreless fifth, the top of the Bruin order fired off three doubles in four at bats in the top of the sixth to break open a 6-2 lead. Yudin singled for the second time of the night and Kamekona drove a double through the left side that scored her. DiSalvatore doubled two batters later to plate another run, and Kaila Shull added a double on just the second pitch she saw to make it 6-2.
The Bruins tacked one more onto their total in the top of the seventh. Julie Burney was hit by a pitch from reliever Ashley Chinn, advanced on a ground out and scored on a single to the right side by Harrison.
Stanford made an effort to come back in the seventh, but could only come up with two runs. Minder came in to pinch hit and drove a single up the middle. Jenna Becerra replaced her on first base and moved into scoring position when Haber drew the first walk of the year off of Langenfeld. Hansen posted her second single to load the bases and Koplitz sent a two-RBI bloop single behind Harrison at shortstop to pull Stanford within three, 7-4. With the tying run at the plate, however, the Bruins turned a double play to end the game.
Stanford will continue its opening weekend of Pac-10 play tomorrow, taking on second-ranked Washington at 1 p.m. The Cardinal and the Huskies will meet again on Sunday, with first pitch set for noon at Smith Family Stadium.