Feb. 7, 2009
Stanford, Calif. - Senior ace Missy Penna struck out 13 batters and threw her fifth career no-hitter tonight, leading Stanford (3-1) to an 11-0 thumping of Kansas (2-2) at the Kajikawa Classic.
Pitching her second game of the day, Penna fanned batters for 13 of Stanford's 15 outs and struck out the side three times. The senior's shutout was the 33rd of her career, moving her within two of Becky Blevins' school record. Her no-hitter was her first since throwing one against UMass at the Amherst Regional last season and matched three-time All-American Dana Sorensen's existing school record for career no-hitters.
Offensively, Stanford exploded for a season-high 12 hits, including four for extra bases. Junior third baseman Shannon Koplitz went 2-for-2 and scored three times, while freshman shortstop Ashley Hansen was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Junior outfielder Alissa Haber also had two hits, and junior catcher Rosey Neill lifted her third home run of the day over the right field fence. All nine Stanford starters recorded at least one hit in the game.
Neill's home run was the 29th of her career, moving her into sole possession of fifth place on Stanford's career chart. Haber's first-inning double moved her onto the school's all-time top-10 list in the category.
Kansas, which had pulled two top-10 upsets in the last 24 hours, managed just three base runners. Third baseman Val Chapple reached twice on errors and designated player Elle Pottorf was hit by a pitch in the first inning. Jayhawk ace Val George took the loss after giving up six runs in 1.2 innings of work.
Stanford left seven runners on base, while Kansas stranded its only three.
Stanford scored on its first chance, using a pair of doubles by Haber and senior Maddy Coon to plate the first run of the game. Haber drove a ball through the left side on the Cardinal's opening at-bat, and Coon pounded a ball all the way to the fence two batters later to send her in.
In the second inning, Stanford broke the game open, running all the way through its order and adding another five runs to its tally. Koplitz was hit by a pitch to start the rally, and after an infield base hit by freshman Sarah Hassman, the junior was driven in by Haber on a single to left field. A Jayhawk error loaded the bases and Coon picked up her seventh walk of the year to force in another run. With two outs, Brittany Minder tagged a two-RBI single to right field, pushing the Stanford lead to 5-0. Freshman Maya Burns then slipped a single through the left side to score Coon.
With a 6-0 lead at the end of the second, Stanford continued to push. Koplitz registered her first of two singles in the third inning and scored when Hansen crushed her first career double to right center.
Neill moved Stanford into run-rule territory with a solo home run to lead off the fourth. Minder walked soon after, and pinch runner Autumn Albers scored on a single through the right side by Melisa Koutz. After Koplitz' second single of the night, Hansen popped a single up the middle to score both runners.
Stanford finishes play at the Kajikawa Classic tomorrow morning, taking on Central Florida at 11 a.m. (MT) at Farrington Stadium.