March 20, 2009
Stanford, Calif. - Stanford brought little offense to its first game back from the finals break, but one hard hit ball by Rosey Neill was all the Cardinal needed to best Princeton, 1-0, and extend its winning streak to 24 games.
Stanford improves to 25-1 with the win and has not lost since the opening day of the season. The streak is the longest in school history and the longest active streak in the nation. Princeton falls to 5-6 on the year.
After four scoreless innings, Neill gave the Tigers a glimpse of the Cardinal's offensive potential. The junior bashed Michelle Tolfa's 1-1 pitch over the center field wall in the fifth inning, putting the game's only run on the board.
Neill's home run, which led off the bottom of the fifth, was the 32nd of her career and sixth of the season. Just a junior, Neill is already one of only five players in program history to hit 30 or more career long balls.
Senior pitcher Missy Penna claimed the win for the Cardinal, marking the 100th victory of her career. Penna (16-1) is just the second pitcher in school history to reach the landmark and is now just five wins shy of Dana Sorensen's school record. Tolfa (4-4) gave up six hits and took the loss for Princeton.
Penna fanned eight Princeton batters in the game, pushing her past two-time Olympian Jennie Finch on the Pac-10's career K chart (1,031/11th place). Penna also pushed her ongoing school shutout record to 42, and has now gone 48 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.
The Cardinal outhit the Tigers, 6-2. Stanford left four runners on base and had five thrown out on the base paths. Freshman Ashley Hansen went 2-for-3 with her eighth double of the year to pace the Stanford offense.
Shortly after Neill's home run, the Cardinal had its best chance to tack runs onto its total. Freshman Jenna Becerra doubled and reached third on an infield hit by Sarah Hassman. On a sacrifice fly attempt, however, Becerra was gunned down at the plate by Princeton center fielder Brianna Moreno.
Stanford will be back in action at the Stanford Invitational tomorrow afternoon. The team takes on Winthrop and Santa Clara in a doubleheader beginning at 1:30 p.m.