STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning but could not hold on for the upset at No. 19/19 California, falling to the Golden Bears 4-1 on a walk-off grand slam.
The Cardinal (17-35, 2-20 Pac-12) kept the Bears (36-16, 8-14 Pac-12) scoreless through the first 6.2 innings but California freshman Kobie Pettis hit her first career grand slam over the right field fence to steal the victory.
Stanford did nearly everything it could to pull off the upset – hitting the ball hard, quality pitching and strong defensive plays.
“We battled and hit the ball hard, had disciplined at-bats and played well defensively,” said Stanford head coach Rachel Hanson.
Four Cardinal players combined for six hits with Kayla Bonstrom and Tylyn Wells both going 2-for-3 to pace the team. Bonstrom registered Stanford’s lone run with a solo home run to right-center field. It was Bonstrom’s 12th of the year – tying her for 8th-most in a single season in Stanford history – and 24th of her career – moving her into a tie for ninth all-time in Stanford history.
“She’s having a phenomenal season,” said Hanson of Bonstrom. “It was a big jolt for us and a reminder that this was a game for us to go and take. It was a great piece of hitting.”
Jessica Plaza and Lauren Bertoy also contributed a hit apiece.
Kylie Sorenson and Erin Ashby (1-5) were excellent in the circle, keeping California off the board until the final out of the game. Sorenson was particularly impressive, limiting the Bears to three hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Prior to giving up the grand slam, Ashby had done well to keep California’s bats quiet and pitch out of a couple of jams in 1.2 innings.
“Erin and Kylie did an excellent job to give us a chance to win that game,” said Hanson. “Kylie is doing a really good job of keeping the ball low on the corners and working in the off-speed to keep people off-balance. Plaza called a great game behind the plate.”
Stanford got off to a quality start, keeping the Bears’ offense at bay through the first two innings and getting singles from Bonstrom in the first and Bertoy in the second.
California threatened in the bottom of the second inning when Danielle Henderson led off with a walk and reached third with two outs. However, Sorenson was able to get the following batter to fly out to right field to end the inning and keep the Bears off the board.
Jazmyn Jackson registered California’s first hit of the game with two outs in the third but Sorenson was able to halt the rally.
Plaza doubled with two outs in the top of the fourth inning but Stanford was unable to bring her around.
The Bears threatened again in the bottom of the fourth inning with runners on first and second with one out. Sorenson was able to force a grounder and turn a 1-5-3 double play to get out of the inning.
Stanford nearly broke through in the top of the fifth inning when Wells singled with two outs and Bessie Noll followed with a walk. The rally was stopped in the following at bat when Sorenson drilled a line drive right at California’s shortstop to end the inning.
California had runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning but Sorenson was able to get the next batter to hit a grounder back to her in the circle. Sorenson threw home to get the runner trying to score.
The Bears loaded the bases with two outs later in the inning but Sorenson again came through, forcing a pop fly to end the inning.
Bonstrom broke through in the top of the sixth inning, hitting the first pitch of the inning over the right-center field fence to give Stanford a 1-0 lead.
California put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth inning and had runners on first and third. Ashby was able to get California’s Alleah Laxamana to pop up in foul territory to get the final out of the inning.
California’s Jasmin Mejia led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a walk. Cheyenne Cordes put a scare in the Cardinal hitting a two-out single off the top of the right field fence to put runners on first and third. After the Bears loaded the bases, Pettis hit a high shot to right field, clearing the fence and securing the victory for the Bears.
Stanford will look to even the series Friday at 4 p.m. (PT). The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.