STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford gave top-ranked Oregon all it could handle Saturday afternoon in the series-opener.
The Cardinal (16-27, 1-12 Pac-12) and Ducks (36-5, 14-2 Pac-12) were knotted at 4-4 after six innings. Oregon added a run in the top of the seventh to take a 5-4 lead. Stanford could not manage the hits needed to manufacture the tying run and took the defeat.
It was an impressive showing for the Cardinal, which is currently using position players at pitcher due to injuries. Kylie Sorenson got the start and Kayla Bonstrom and Erin Ashby (0-2) came in as relief. The trio limited Oregon’s offense to five runs on 10 hits and five walks, while striking out four.
“I’m so incredibly proud of the way the team played today,” said Stanford head coach Rachel Hanson. “We played hard every inning and battled. Our position players did a great job of limiting the Oregon offense and our offence did a great job of coming up with clutch hits.”
Sorenson had a big day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs. Kayla Bonstrom also tallied two hits and Bessie Noll extended her hitting streak to four games with a single. Hanna Winter provided the fourth RBI of the day with a walk.
Oregon jumped out to an early lead in the top of the second inning when Geri Ann Glasco hit a solo home run and Nikki Udria contributed a sacrifice fly.
The Cardinal responded immediately in the bottom half of the second inning when Sorenson hit a two-run double to the right-center field gap to tie the game at 2-2.
Glasco gave the Ducks the lead again in the top of the third with her second solo homer of the game.
Stanford took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sorenson opened the scoring when she doubled again to bring in Noll who was on second. The Cardinal continued the rally and loaded the bases for Winter who drew a walk to score the go-ahead run.
Oregon got the run back in the top half of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Janelle Lindvall. Noll halted the Ducks rally in the inning during the play, making the catch in center field and throwing out an Oregon runner trying to advance to third on the fly out.
After a scoreless sixth inning, Oregon’s Koral Costa singled with the bases loaded to retake the lead 5-4.
Kayla Bonstrom singled in the bottom of the seventh but Stanford was unable to find the hits needed to move her around and tie the game.
The Cardinal continues its series against Oregon Sunday at Noon (PT).