April 30, 2011
STANFORD, Calif. - The No. 13 Stanford softball team fell, 7-1, to No. 11 Washington, Saturday, at Smith Family Stadium. The Cardinal drops to 34-11 overall and 7-7 in the Pac-10, while the Huskies improve to 32-9 on the season and 7-7 in the conference.
Senior pitcher Ashley Chinn took the loss in the circle, falling to 15-3 on the year. She struck out six Huskies, but gave up 10 hits and five earned runs. Washington freshman Kaitlin Ingelsby earned the win, improving to 20-6 on the year.
The Huskies took an early 3-0 lead in the second inning. Catcher Shawna Wright led off the inning with a single up the middle. Chinn then walked the next two batters to load the bases with no outs. The Cardinal pitcher then caught Washington pinch hitter Jenna Clifton looking for the first out. After Stanford recorded another out, shortstop Jen Salling hit a line drive single to score the first run of the inning. The Huskies scored two more as first baseman Niki Williams hit an RBI single, and then an error by Cardinal center fielder Sarah Hassman allowed the third run to cross the plate.
Stanford cut the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the third. Junior Sarah Hassman reached on a fielder's choice. She then registered her 31st stolen base of the season, tying the school's single season record set by Jessica Mendoza in 2001, and continued on to third on a throwing error by Wright. Hassman scored as junior Ashley Hansen reached on an error by Williams.
Washington tacked on another run in the fourth and three more in the sixth to put the game out of reach for Stanford.
The team's will close out the series, Sunday, May 1 at Noon. It will be the final Pac-10 regular season game of the year for the Cardinal at Smith Family Stadium. The team will honor its two seniors, Chinn and Melisa Koutz, prior to the game.