STANFORD, Calif. - Junior Teaghan Cowles finished a double short of the cycle as Stanford (13-2) cruised past Montana (3-14) by a score of 7-3 on Friday night from Smith Family Stadium and the Stanford Invitational.
Cowles finished the game 3-for-3 with a career-best four runs scored, a stolen base and two RBI while hitting out of the leadoff spot in the order. She drew a walk in the first inning before lining a single into centerfield to lead off the third. Leading off once again in the fifth, she belted her third homer of the year out to left field, running Stanford's advantage to 3-1. Cowles capped the stellar day in the sixth, lacing an RBI-triple into right-centerfield to highlight a three-run frame for the Card.
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— Stanford Softball (@StanfordSball) March 2, 2019
Teaghan Cowles tees off for her third home run of the season!#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/DPJdXV7ImT
Cowles' triple in the sixth inning was her first of the season, but it was also the 11th of her career – matching Cassandra Roulund for third on Stanford's all-time record list.
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— Stanford Softball (@StanfordSball) March 2, 2019
Teaghan Cowles with the RBI-triple and she's a double short of the cycle! The three-bagger is Cowles' 11th of her career - good for a share of third in Stanford history!#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/tQE749uQTl
While the offense was busy notching 10 hits, including the three from Cowles and a 2-for-2 day from Emily Klingaman, sophomore Maddy Dwyer was pitching well on the other side of the ball. Dwyer dealt six innings and allowed an unearned run on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts. The right-hander improved to 6-1 with the win. Freshman Molly Millar finished the game in the circle for Stanford.
Montana Dixon, who had the game-winning hit in Stanford's 1-0 shutout win over #23 Northwestern earlier in the day, plated the first run against the Griz, punching a single into left field to bring home Cowles in the first.
After Montana drew even in the third, Dixon drove in another, this time pushing home Cowles with a sacrifice fly in the Stanford half of the third inning to reclaim the lead at 2-1.
Cowles' homer extended the lead in the fifth before senior Molly Fowkes punched a pinch-hit RBI-single into left to run the tally to 4-1 after five innings.
Stanford managed a pair of RBI-triples in the three-run sixth inning, with Cowles and Kristina Inouye both delivering to hand the Card a comfortable 7-1 cushion headed into the seventh.
McKenna Tjaden would provide one last spark for Montana, launching a two-run homer out to left field in the final frame, but Millar managed to close the door without further damage.
Day two of the Stanford Invitational is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. on Saturday as Cal Poly and Northwestern meet. Stanford is slated to play two games on Saturday, clashing with Montana at 4:45 p.m. and North Dakota State at 7 p.m.