AVBLEOKULZXRXXOAVBLEOKULZXRXXO
Softball

Snyder Shines in Victory

STANFORD, Calif. – Haley Snyder delivered a strong all-around performance and Stanford's offense came alive to earn an 11-3 run-rule victory against Pacific on Wednesday evening.

Snyder (7-7) was confident in the circle and paced the Cardinal (13-17) offensively at the plate. The sophomore held the Tigers to three runs on eight hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Snyder was dangerous at the plate, going 3-for-4 with five RBIs, two runs and a home run.

Snyder also contributed the game-ending hit with an RBI-single through the right side of the infield.

Haley Snyder ended the game with an RBI-single.

Stanford's offense erupted for 14 hits with nine players registering at least one hit. Along with Snyder, Whitney Burks (2-for-3) and Lauren Wegner (3-for-3) recorded multi-hit games. The Cardinal's 11 runs is the most it has scored since a 14-6 victory in six innings at Hawai'i on March 5.

Another sign of good news for Stanford was the return of starting centerfielder Bessie Noll, who had been out since that March 5 game at Hawai'i. Noll started in center field and played all six innings.

Haley Snyder discussed the victory after the game.

Pacific took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Molly Bourne singled to left field to bring in Rachel Sellers from second.

The Tigers added a second run in the top of the second inning when Sellers hit a grounder through the left side of the infield that Kylie Sorenson was able to get to but could not stop completely. The ball rolled into shallow left field allowing Taylor Covington to score from second.

Snyder put Stanford in front 3-2 with her second home run of the year in the bottom of the third inning. She hit a first-pitch two-out home run over the left-center field wall.

Pacific leveled the score at 3-3 in the following frame. Covington singled up the middle to score Cassidy Gustafson from second.

Stanford loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom half of the fourth inning and rallied for seven runs on seven hits and an error to take a commanding 10-3 lead. The rally included a stretch in which the Cardinal scored at least one run in five straight at-bats.

Savannah Schulze led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a pinch-hit single up the middle. After Kylie Sorenson drew a walk and both runners advanced on a wild pitch, Snyder singled through the right side of the infield to bring Schulze home and secure the 11-3 victory.

Stanford continues Pac-12 play this weekend with a three-game series at UCLA beginning Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (PT).