STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford had its two-game winning streak halted Friday night at Boyd and Jill Smith Family Stadium when No. 1/1 Oregon defeated the Cardinal 7-0.
The Ducks (42-5, 15-1 Pac-12) showcased why they are the top-ranked team in the country, excelling in all areas of the game, including a strong performance from ace pitcher Cheridan Hawkins (26-3).
Hawkins never faced more than four Cardinal batters per inning. She registered seven strikeouts, allowed four hits and one walk in 7.0 shutout innings.
Stanford (27-19, 3-13 Pac-12) had multiple moments throughout the game in which it looked like it was on the verge of a rally but was unable to find the consecutive hits needed to break through.
Kayla Bonstrom led Stanford offensively, going 2-for-3 with a single up the middle in the first inning and a booming double off the right-center field wall in the sixth. Cassandra Roulund and Bessie Noll recorded a hit apiece.
Madi Schreyer (19-11) pitched her 19th complete game on the year, striking out four and allowing seven runs on 12 hits and five walks. The freshman concluded her evening on a high note by striking out the side in the top of the seventh inning.
The Ducks jumped out to an early lead, posting a run in the first inning. Hanna Winter helped prevent any additional damage by making a couple of nice defensive plays at third base. Winter was terrific defensively throughout the game and led Stanford with six assists on the night.
Stanford had one player reach base in every inning except the fourth but was unable to find the hits needed to get on the board.
Oregon added four runs in the third inning to extend its lead to 5-0. The score remained the same until the Ducks rallied for two runs in the fifth to take a 7-0 advantage.
The Cardinal continued to pressure with Bonstrom doubling in the sixth and Roulund hitting a leadoff double in the seventh, but could not capitalize on the opportunities.
The Cardinal will look to rebound Saturday when the series continues at 1 p.m. (PT).