STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford softball was in a dog fight with No. 1 Washington at Smith Family Stadium on Thursday night, but a big seventh inning pushed the Huskies past the Cardinal, 8-1.
Stanford (20-11, 1-3 Pac-12) tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth and trailed by just two entering the final inning, but Washington (35-2, 5-2 Pac-12) broke through for five runs to put the series opener out of reach.
Otherwise, the Cardinal did everything possible to hang around. Making her first start of the season, Nikki Bauer kept Stanford within striking distance through five solid innings. Lauren Wegner alertly came around to score on an error, tying the game with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. Meanwhile, Stanford peppered Washington starter Taran Alvelo for six hits – equaling the most allowed by the Husky ace all season.
Five different Cardinal had a hit, led sophomore Teaghan Cowles, who extended her hit streak to 12 games with a 2-for-4 effort.
Stanford, which blanked Washington 6-0 in Seattle last season when the Huskies were ranked No. 7 in the country, will have two more chances for its first win over a top-10 opponent since that May 6 matchup. The middle game of the three-game set is set for Friday at 7 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Networks. Fans will receive the first set of Stanford trading cards, and can make their own posters and visors.
Solid night from @Nik_bauer07 ??
— Stanford Softball (@StanfordSball) March 30, 2018
Kept the Cardinal within striking distance of top-ranked Huskies #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/RctXvSKWoS
#GoStanford