SALT LAKE CITY – Sophomore Teaghan Cowles hit two triples to lead Stanford to a 5-4 win over Utah, Saturday, in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader at Dumke Family Field.
It is the first time since 2014 that the Cardinal (20-8, 1-0 Pac-12) has won its opening Pac-12 Conference game. Stanford has also reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2014.
Redshirt junior Whitney Burks drove in the go-ahead run in the third with a sacrifice fly to left field that was caught in foul territory. Cowles tagged up at third and beat the throw home. It was the 20th RBI of the season for Burks.
Sophomore Kiana Pancino started the game in the circle, throwing 2.0 innings and giving up just one hit. Junior Carolyn Lee replaced Pancino in the bottom of the third and picked up her first win of the season. She finished with one strikeout and allowed just one hit. Freshman Maddy Dwyer came in to close things out for Stanford in the seventh.
Utah's Katie Donovan, the younger sister of former Cardinal Lauren Donovan (2012-14), took the loss and dropped to 9-3.
Utah (15-12, 0-4 Pac-12) struck first in the game, getting an RBI double from shortstop Breonna Castaneda in the bottom of the first inning.
Arden Pettit hit an RBI double to left field in the top of the second to bring home shortstop Kristina Inouye and even the score at 1-1. It was the 10th RBI of the season for the senior.
Stanford broke open its lead in the sixth, scoring three runs on three hits. Inouye led off with a single to center field and then Pettit drew a walk with one out. Redshirt freshman Maya Jackson came in to run for Pettit at first. Junior Lauren Frost roped a double to left center field, scoring Inouye and Jackson.
Cowles, who led off the third inning with her fourth triple of the season, then notched her fifth in the top of the sixth to score Frost. She now has nine triples in her career, moving her into a tie with Jessica Mendoza, Alissa Haber and Hanna Winter for sixth all-time in program history.
As rain started to come down, the teams went into a weather delay at the end of the sixth inning. The delay lasted 1:11 minutes before play resumed.
After a scoreless top of the seventh for Stanford, Utah plated three in the bottom of the seventh before Frost caught the final out.
