CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Bessie Noll went 2-for-4 with three RBIs to help power Stanford to a 10-4 victory against St. John's on Friday afternoon at the Mary Nutter Classic.
The Cardinal (9-4) jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. Lauren Bertoy hit a three-run home run and Lauren Wegner hit a two-run homer to account for five of the six runs.
Stanford split the pitching load among three players with Nikki Bauer getting the start and Kiana Pancino and Haley Snyder coming in as relief. Pancino (1-0) earned the victory – the first of her collegiate career.
Nine Stanford players combined for 13 hits. Alyssa Horeczko went 3-for-3 with a triple and two runs. Kylie Sorenson went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a triple and two runs. It is the second game this weekend the Cardinal has produced two triples in the same game.
Bessie Noll went 2-for-4 with four RBIs to help power the Cardinal to victory. #GoStanford ?? pic.twitter.com/FfkJYveXB1
— Stanford Softball (@StanfordSball) February 25, 2017
Bessie Noll tallied three RBIs and went 2-for-4.
Stanford got off to a hot start, generating six runs on five hits in the bottom of the first inning. Bertoy and Wegner homered to combine for five of the Cardinal's six runs. It was both of their second home runs of the season.
Stanford made a pair of outstanding defensive plays in the top of the second inning. Teaghan Cowles made a diving catch in left field on a shallow blooper for the first out. The Red Storm's (5-6) Kristal Puga hit a hard shot to right field but Horeczko fielded the ball and fired to first to get the batter and end the inning.
After two quick outs in the top of the third, St. John's rallied for four runs to cut the Cardinal's lead to, 6-4.
Pancino entered the game in the top of the fourth inning and limited the Red Storm to no runs on one hit and one walk with one strikeout in 2.0 innings.
.@kianapancino came in as relief in the fourth inning to earn the first victory of her collegiate career. #GoStanford ?? pic.twitter.com/iDtrfogb0A
— Stanford Softball (@StanfordSball) February 25, 2017
Kiana Pancino earned the first victory of her collegiate career.
Stanford extended its lead to 9-4 with three runs on a trio of hits in the bottom of the fourth inning. Horeczko led off with a single and was followed by a walk by Cowles.
Sorenson hit an RBI-single and advanced to second on the throw home that scored Horeczko. Burks reached on an error to load the bases with no outs.
Noll doubled past the third baseman to score a pair of runs and give Stanford a 9-4 lead.
The Cardinal added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning to make its advantage 10-4.
Snyder entered the circle in the sixth inning, making her first pitching appearance this season. She kept St. John's off the board in the final two innings to secure the 10-4 victory.
Stanford will look to continue its momentum when it concludes play at the Mary Nutter Classic on Saturday with a pair of games against San Diego State at 5:30 p.m. PT and Purdue at 8 p.m.