Feb. 21, 2009
Stanford, Calif. - Junior outfielder Alissa Haber went a perfect 4-for-4 with two extra-base hits, leading the Stanford softball team (11-1) to a 10-3 rout of Western Kentucky (6-3) in its third game of the Stanford Nike Invitational.
Sophomore pitcher Ashley Chinn (3-0) picked up the win in the circle, posting five K's while allowing five hits and two earned runs. Senior Jennifer Kempf (2-2) took the loss for the Hilltoppers.
Stanford freshman Maya Burns joined Haber with an impressive offensive outing, doubling her career hit total against the Hilltoppers alone with three hits in four at-bats. Burns also had three RBI in the game, while junior Rosey Neill went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs.
Neill's RBI in the fifth inning moved her past Michelle Acosta '99 and into ninth place on the school's career RBI chart. Neill also recorded her 1,000th career putout in the game, joining former greats Sarah Beeson '02, Kellie Wiginton '00 and Jessica Allister `04 as the only players in school history to reach the milestone.
Senior Terri Ellingsworth went 2-for-3 to pace Western Kentucky. Stanford outhit the Hilltoppers, 11-5.
The Cardinal came to life early in the game, as six of the team's first seven batters reached base. Haber jumpstarted the offense with her sixth career triple, and scored when Ashley Hansen poked a single up the middle. After Kempf's first walk, the Hilltoppers turned a double play that broke up the Stanford rally. A wild pitch sent Shannon Koplitz to third, however, and Burns drove a single through the left side to allow the junior to score.
In the second inning, Stanford piled on four more runs. Haber once again started the Cardinal off with a hit, and a ground ball moved her to second with two outs. With Koplitz at bat, Haber stole third and cruised home on an errant throw. Koplitz took a walk on the at-bat, and scored on a double by Neill. Burns drove Neill in with the second straight Cardinal hit off the wall and later scored on Western Kentucky's second throwing error of the inning.
After throwing four complete innings without allowing a single Hilltopper baserunner, Chinn gave up four hits in the fifth inning. The Hilltoppers took advantage of their brief surge of offense and scored three runs to narrow the deficit to 6-3. Senior Rebecca Horesky reached on a Stanford fielding error to start the inning, and scored after back-to-back singles up the middle by Ellingsworth and Sam Cronk. Junior Shannon Smith then drove a shot down the line in left field to score Ellingsworth. Cronk moved to third on the play, and scored on an infield single by Kelsey McCauley.
Stanford would have nothing of a close game, however, and rallied to push its lead to 10-3 by the end of the fifth inning. With one out, Jenna Becerra and Sarah Hassman reached on a walk and a single, respectively. Haber then stepped up with her fourth hit of the day, driving a double down the left line that scored Becerra. Hassman scored on an ensuing ground out, and Haber came in on a single by Neill. Burns followed with her third RBI of the game to score Stanford's final run, pushing Koplitz across after the junior drew a walk.
Next, Stanford will play Notre Dame for the second time in two days. The Cardinal and the Fighting Irish are set to begin play at approximately 2:30 p.m. this afternoon.