STANFORD, Calif. - Opening a three-game Pac-12 series against Oregon on Friday night, Stanford (24-4, 3-0 Pac-12) erased a four-run first-inning deficit to capture an 8-6 victory over the Ducks (12-17, 0-7 Pac-12) from Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium in front of a spirited crowd of 683.
With the win, Stanford has matched its overall and Pac-12 win totals from 2018. The 3-0 start to Pac-12 play is the best in program history, while the victory is the first for the Cardinal over Oregon since April 6, 2012 – snapping a string of 19 consecutive losses to the Ducks.
Oregon's Allee Bunker connected for a grand slam in the first inning, handing the Ducks the early 4-0 cushion, but the Cardinal began to cut into the deficit in the third, scoring twice in the frame to run the tally to 4-2.
After Teaghan Cowles lined a solo home run over the wall in left field in the fourth to cut the deficit to one at 4-3, the Ducks answered with a solo home run from Jasmine Sievers in the fifth to reclaim the two-run lead.
Teaghan Cowles went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and this laser beam of a home run to guide Stanford to an 8-6 victory over Oregon! #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/rc7zoH6qzp
— Stanford Softball (@StanfordSball) March 30, 2019
Cowles finished the game 3-for-4 with her fifth homer of the season and two RBI.
The Cardinal finally broke through for good in the fifth, plating five runs on three hits, including a two-RBI single from Emily Klingaman, to take an 8-5 lead. Klingaman was one of three Stanford hitters to finish with two hits in the victory, as Hannah Howell and Emily Young each went 2-for-3 with a run scored and one RBI.
E5 » ?? 8, ?? 5@EmilyKlingaman caps a 5?-run frame with a two-RBI single into left-centerfield!#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/KPjuDzeYls
— Stanford Softball (@StanfordSball) March 30, 2019
Rachel Cid answered for Oregon with the third Duck homer of the night in the sixth, but Kiana Pancino entered from the Stanford bullpen and promptly retired the final five Oregon hitters in order, including posting two strikeouts, to finish the victory and convert her conference-best sixth save of the season.
Senior Carolyn Lee earned the victory and moved to 8-2 after tossing 5.1 innings with five strikeouts, while Maddie MacGrandle was saddled with the loss and fell to 2-6 after being charged with four runs over a third of a frame. MacGrandle relieved Oregon starter Jordan Dail after the latter issued a leadoff walk to Montana Dixon in the five-run fifth, but MacGrandle was ultimately replaced by Dail later in the same frame. Over two turns in the circle on Friday, Dail amassed 5.2 innings of work, allowing four runs on nine hits and five walks while striking out seven.
Stanford will look to secure the series win over Oregon on Saturday at 2 p.m.