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Karen Ambrose Hickey/Stanford Athletics
Softball

One-Run Wins

STANFORD, Calif. - Opening tournament play at the Cardinal Classic on Friday from Smith Family Stadium, Stanford (18-2) won a pair of one-run games, defeating Bucknell, 2-1, before coming-from-behind to top UMass Lowell, 7-6.

Junior Teaghan Cowles got the Card off to a great start in game one, lining a home run out to straightaway centerfield for her fourth homer of the year. The reigning Pac-12 and NFCA National Player of the Week finished the contest 1-for-4.

Senior Carolyn Lee impressed in the circle for Stanford, working 5.0 innings and allowing just one unearned run on four hits and one walk while striking out four. The native of San Ramon, Calif. collected the win and moved to 4-1 with the decision.

Junior Kiana Pancino was lights-out once more on Friday against Bucknell, retiring all six batters she faced to record her fifth save of the season. Pancino entered the week ranked second in the nation in saves.

Raeanne Geffert got the start and took the loss for Bucknell despite pitching well. Geffert allowed two runs on eight hits and three walks over her six innings of work before dropping to 3-5 on the season.

While Cowles' homer put the Card on the board, it was a clutch two-out RBI-double from Hannah Howell that proved to be the game-winner. The Card managed to put its first two runners aboard in the third inning, but a double play nearly spoiled the opportunity. Batting with a runner at third and two out, Howell connected on a 3-1 pitch and split the gap in left-centerfield to extend the Stanford advantage to 2-0 at that point.

Though the Bison would manage an unearned run on an RBI-double from Anna Gimmestad in the fifth, Pancino and the Card would shut the door from there to pick up the victory.

UMass Lowell became just the fifth Stanford opponent this year to score first in a contest against the Card, plating a pair of runs in the second inning of game two. The Cardinal managed to erase that deficit by way of three runs in the third, and carried a 5-2 advantage into the sixth, but the River Hawks scored four times in the sixth to reclaim a one-run cushion at 6-5.

Trailing by a run in the bottom of the sixth, Stanford struck quickly to recapture the lead. Alyssa Horeczko reached on a bunt single before Cowles laced a triple into the alley in right-centerfield to tie the game at 6-6. Freshman Emily Klingaman followed with the game-winning hit, lining a single into left field to chase home Cowles.

Cowles finished game two 2-for-4 with two runs scored and the RBI. Horeczko also collected a pair of hits, while senior Molly Fowkes went 2-for-3 with an RBI – driving in a run in the fifth inning. Fowkes was 4-for-5 over the two games on Friday.

Pancino eventually earned the victory in game two after tossing 2.0 innings and allowing one run on one hit. She was on the hook for a loss after taking over in the four-run top of the sixth, but Stanford's offense came up with the two in the sixth to flip the script. The victory moved the junior to 6-0 on the season.

Stanford will continue play at the Cardinal Classic on Saturday with two more games. The Cardinal will meet UNLV at 2:30 p.m. before finishing the day against UMass Lowell at 4:45 p.m.