Lead Image by Mike Rasay/ISIPhotos.com
STANFORD, Calif. – Whitney Burks went 2-for-3 with four RBIs to help power Stanford to a convincing 8-1 victory against Pacific in the final game of the Nike Invitational on Sunday afternoon.
Seven Cardinal (7-3) players combined for 10 hits and four players contributed at least one RBI. Four Stanford players produced a double apiece.
Carolyn Lee (4-2) was excellent for Stanford in the circle, tying her career high in strikeouts with seven. She held the Tigers (3-5) to one run on six hits and three walks in 7.0 innings. It is Lee's fourth complete game in five starts this season.
Another nice outing for @calee97.
— Stanford Softball (@StanfordSball) February 19, 2017
Tied her career high in strikeouts (7) and limited Pacific to one run on six hits and three walks. pic.twitter.com/R5Noec6evY
Carolyn Lee tied her career high of seven strikeouts.
Burks provided clutch at-bats for the Cardinal, hitting a two-RBI double to right-center field in the bottom of the third inning and adding a two-RBI single in the bottom of the fourth.
Teaghan Cowles and Bessie Noll also had quality days offensively, producing two hits apiece. Cowles rounded the bases twice, while Noll generated an RBI and a double.
The Cardinal finished the weekend 2-1 overall with wins against UC Santa Barbara and Pacific, and a one-run loss against Omaha.
Cowles led Stanford in batting for the second straight week, hitting .700 (7-for-10) with four RBIs and four runs. Kylie Sorenson and Bessie Noll both hit .500 on the weekend. Sorenson contributed a team-high six RBIs and four doubles, while Noll scored three runs and contributed two RBIs.
Lee went 1-1 on the weekend with a 2.00 ERA, limiting opponents to four runs on 11 hits and five walks in 14.0 innings. She racked up 13 strikeouts in two complete game performances.
Stanford struck early against the Tigers on an RBI-single by Lauren Frost in the bottom of the second. The lead did not last long, however, as Pacific responded with a run of its own in the top of the third to level the score, 1-1.
The Cardinal rallied for three runs in the third and fourth innings to retake the lead, 7-1.
Stanford capitalized on a Pacific error in the top of the sixth inning to add an insurance run and make the score, 8-1.
The Cardinal will look to continue its momentum next week when it travels to Cathedral City, California, for five games in three days at the Mary Nutter Classic.