STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford concluded nonconference tournament play Sunday at the Louisville Slugger Classic with a 5-3 victory against Santa Clara.
The Cardinal (14-14) dropped its morning game 9-5 to No. 17/17 Minnesota before playing its final nonconference tournament game of the year against the Broncos (5-17). Stanford finished the weekend 2-3 with both victories coming against Santa Clara.
The Cardinal provided plenty of offense during the weekend, hitting .309 as a team with 42 hits, 29 runs, 11 doubles, and 27 RBIs.
Kylie Sorenson led Stanford at the plate, going 5-for-10 (.500) with five runs, a home run and a double.
Kayla Bonstrom continued her strong season hitting .467 (7-for-15) with four RBIs, three doubles, four runs and a home run. She leads Stanford with a .477 batting average and .852 slugging percentage on the year.
Tylyn Wells (.412), Hanna Winter (.389) and Erin Ashby (.353) also had nice showings offensively during the five-game weekend.
Haley Snyder (8-7) saw a majority of innings in the circle over the weekend, going 1-1 with seven strikeouts and permitting 12 earned runs on 12 hits and 12 walks in 15.0 innings. Kylie Sorenson (2-2) also saw significant time in the circle and went 1-1 with three strikeouts, allowing 10 earned runs on 14 hits and four walks in 11.0 innings.
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Stanford found itself in an early hole against Minnesota when the Golden Gophers took an early lead, manufacturing a run in the top of the second inning.
Sorenson got the start in the circle for the Cardinal and went 3.0 innings, allowing four runs on five hits and one walk. She was relieved by Wells who pitched 4.0 innings, permitting five runs on seven hits and two walks.
“Kylie and Tylyn did a really good job of limiting Minnesota and keeping us in that game,” said Stanford head coach Rachel Hanson.
The Cardinal capitalized on a two-out error in the bottom of the third inning to knot the game at 1-1. After Wells reached on an error and Bonstrom drew a four-pitch walk, Ashby hammered a pitch off the left field wall to bring in the Cardinal’s first run.
The Golden Gophers responded immediately in the next half inning with five runs on six hits. Sara Groenewegen hit a leadoff single and was followed by a two-run home run by Hannah Granger. It was Granger’s third home run of the weekend.
Minnesota added three runs to extend its lead to 6-1 before Jessica Plaza threw out a runner trying to steal third to end the inning. She caught two stealing in the game.
Stanford cut the Golden Gophers lead in half in the bottom portion of the inning when Hanna Winter drove a two-RBI-triple to right-center field to make the difference 6-3.
Sorenson helped Stanford cut into the lead in the fifth inning with a RBI-single to bring Bonstrom around from second and reduce Minnesota’s advantage to 6-4.
The Golden Gophers stole four bases in the top of the sixth inning to produce three runs and stretch its lead to 9-4.
Wells did well to keep Stanford within striking distance, retiring Minnesota batters in order in the top of the seventh.
Kayla Bonstrom reduced the lead to 9-5 with a one-out two-run home run to dead center field. It is her seventh home run on the year. Stanford was unable continue the rally and dropped the 9-5 decision.
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Snyder threw a gem against Santa Clara, going 7.0 innings allowing three runs on three hits and two walks. She limited the Broncos to four or fewer at-bats in each of the first six innings.
“It was big for her to limit the walks, attack batters and get ahead in counts, and she did a fantastic job at doing that,” said Hanson.
Snyder’s defense was strong behind her, making highlight worthy plays throughout the game. Winter had a series of quality stops at third and Kaitlin Schaberg made a nice diving stop and flip to second base to end the game.
Stanford got off to a quick start against Santa Clara, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. After Tylyn Wells reached base on a fielders’ choice, Kayla Bonstrom drilled a RBI-double to the left-center field gap. Jessica Plaza brought Bonstrom home with a RBI-single through the left side of the infield.
The Cardinal added a run in the second to extend its lead to 3-0 when Tylyn Wells produced a RBI-single that brought Hanna Winter around from second.
Kayla Bonstrom beat out a throw at first base with two outs in the fourth inning to pick up her second RBI on the day and stretch Stanford’s lead to 4-0.
The Cardinal capitalized on a Santa Clara error in the sixth inning when Lauren Wegner hit a RBI-double down the left field line.
Snyder faced her only threat in the seventh inning when Jordan Newell hit a three-run home run with one out to cut Stanford’s lead to 5-3. She remained focused and got the outs needed to secure the win.
The Cardinal now turns its attention to Pac-12 play. Stanford begins its conference season March 21 at Oregon State.