SEATTLE – Stanford generated eight hits but it was not enough as the Cardinal fell to No. 20/19 Washington 11-4 in the series opener Thursday.
Despite the loss, there were plenty of individual highlights and a pair of career accomplishments for two Cardinal seniors. Hanna Winter registered two hits to tie Sarah Beeson for fifth all-time in hits among Stanford players with 259. Cassandra Roulund hit the 43rd double of her career to break into the top-10 and tie Lauren Lappin on the all-time list.
Stanford at Washington Highlights
The Cardinal (16-20, 1-6 Pac-12) had a strong offensive showing with five Cardinal combining for eight hits. Winter, Roulund and Kayla Bonstrom registered two hits apiece, while Kaitlin Schaberg and Tylyn Wells contributed a hit each. Roulund, Schaberg and Jessica Plaza produced a RBI apiece for the Cardinal.
“We’re swinging the bats with authority and stepping into the box with confidence,” said head coach Rachel Hanson. “We hit the ball hard and it says a lot about the potential of our bats.”
Kylie Sorenson (4-4) had a strong start at pitcher, limiting Washington (32-9, 4-5 Pac-12) to two runs through the first four innings. She finished the game permitting six runs on six hits and four walks in 5.0 innings. Wells entered the game in the sixth inning as relief.
“Kylie kept us in the game to start, kept the ball low and worked her off-speed pitches really well,” said Hanson, who added she was please how her two pitchers – who are both typically position players but pitching due to injuries – battled throughout the game in the circle.
Stanford was undone by big offensive innings by the Huskies in the fifth and sixth innings. Washington managed one hit in the fifth inning but it was a grand slam that narrowly snuck over the centerfield fence. The Huskies added five runs in the sixth inning, fueled by two home runs.
The Cardinal will look to get back in the win column Friday at 5 p.m. (PT) when it continues the series.