TUCSON, Ariz. – Stanford could not slow down a potent No. 19/16 Arizona offense, dropping the series-opener Friday night 11-0 in five innings.
The Cardinal (16-30, 1-15 Pac-12) hit the ball hard but saw it go directly to Arizona (36-12, 11-6) defenders who made quality defensive plays throughout the game.
The Wildcats entered the contest as one of the Pac-12’s top offensive teams and showcased why, capitalizing on Stanford’s pitching staff that consists solely of position players due to injuries to starting pitchers.
Kylie Sorenson (4-8) got the start and went 2.0 innings before being replaced by Kayla Bonstrom who logged 0.2 innings. Erin Ashby contributed 1.0 inning, while Kaitlyn Lagatutta completed the rotation, getting a clutch final out in the bottom of the fourth to halt an Arizona rally.
The Cardinal had its opportunities to produce runs, drawing six walks and having baserunners in three of the five innings. However, Stanford could not find the hit needed to break through. Ashby registered the lone Stanford hit when she led off with a single in the top of the fourth inning.
Stanford threatened offensively in the first inning when Tylyn Wells led off and reached base on an error by the Arizona shortstop. Wells moved to second when Bonstrom was hit by a pitch. However, the Cardinal was unable to bring the two runners home.
Arizona capitalized on a pair of back-to-back errors by Stanford in the bottom half of the inning to take an early 2-0 lead.
Arden Pettit, normally a catcher, made a great catch at third base on a rocket of a shot hit by Arizona’s Mo Mercado in the bottom of the second inning. Despite the nice play, the Wildcats doubled its lead to 4-0 when Ashleigh Hughes hit her first career home run – a two-run shot to right field.
The Wildcats loaded the bases later in the inning but Sorenson did well to pitch out of the jam and limit the damage.
Mercado extended the Wildcats’ lead to 6-0 with a two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the third inning.
Pettit contributed another quality defensive effort at third on a hot shot by Kellie Fox that she dove for and got her glove on to prevent a run from scoring. However, the Wildcats followed with a two-out two-RBIs hit to extend its lead to 8-0. Stanford concluded the inning with a nice defensive play when it caught an Arizona baserunner rounding second on the play in a rundown for the final out of the inning.
Ashby led off the fourth inning with the Cardinal’s first hit of the game, a single to right-center field. Stanford loaded the bases with two outs but could not deliver the hit needed to cut into Arizona’s lead.
The Wildcats added to its advantage in the fifth inning when Chelsea Goodacre led off with a solo home run to left field.
Alyssa Lombardo was subbed into left field with one out in the bottom of the fourth and provided a defensive highlight on the ensuing play, tracking down a deep fly ball in the left-center gap for the second out of the inning. After loading the bases, the Wildcats produced a two-RBI single to make its lead 11-0.
Stanford could not generate the rally and runs needed in the top of the fifth inning to keep the game going.
The Cardinal looks to even the series Saturday at 6 p.m. (PT).