May 22, 2011
STANFORD, Calif. - In a complete team effort, the No. 15 seed Stanford softball team defeated Nebraska, 4-1, Sunday, in the Stanford Regional final at Smith Family Stadium. The Cardinal improves to 41-15 on the year, while the Huskers end the year with a 41-15 overall record.
With the win, Stanford moves on to the Tuscaloosa Super Regional and will face the tournament's overall No. 2 seed, the Alabama Crimson Tide. It marks the fifth super regional appearance for the Cardinal.
Stanford out hit Nebraska 9-5 on the afternoon. Junior Ashley Hansen and sophomore Teagan Gerhart each tallied two apiece for the Cardinal. Hansen finished with two RBI, while Gerhart registered two runs scored. Freshman Caitlyn Pura chipped in with an RBI single, while sophomore Jenna Rich added the final RBI for Stanford.
In the circle, Gerhart finished with four strikeouts, while giving up just one run and one walk. The Norco, Calif., native is now 25-11 overall. Nebraska's Ashley Hagemann took the loss, ending the year with a 31-13 mark. She pitched every inning of the regional for the Huskers.
Stanford threatened to score in the top of the third, registering three consecutive singles. However, Hansen reached on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded and junior Jenna Becerra was out at the plate on the force. Still with the bases loaded, Hagemann caught Rich looking to get out of the jam.
Hansen broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth with an RBI single to right field that was just inside the foul line. Stanford took the 1-0 advantage as Gerhart scored on the play.
Nebraska tied it up in the bottom of the sixth as second baseman Julie Brechtel hit a solo home run to left centerfield.
Stanford broke the tie in the top of the seventh, scoring three runs to increase its lead to 4-1. Hansen came up big once again, driving in the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh. The shortstop ripped one through the right side to score Becerra from second. The rally continued for the Cardinal as Rich grounded out to second base, scoring Gerhart, and then Pura registered a hard hit infield single to score Hansen.
Under 15th-year head coach John Rittman, Stanford has won seven regional titles and racked up 12 40-win seasons. This season marks the fifth super regional appearance for the Cardinal in the past seven years.