STANFORD, Calif. - Freshman Sydney Steele contributed her second walk-off hit of the season as Stanford (13-2) captured a 2-1 victory over Nevada (3-10) to sweep a Saturday doubleheader.
The Cardinal scored once in the sixth inning on an Emily Young RBI-double to tie the game at 1-1 before Steele came to the plate with one out and the bases loaded in the seventh. The native of Poway, Calif. dumped the RBI-single down the line in left field, plating Teaghan Cowles from third.
The walk-off win was Stanford's fifth of the season, and was also the Cardinal's seventh win in its final at bat this year.
WALK. IT. OFF.@sydsteele_32 does it again!#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/ttnOEMasth
— Stanford Softball (@StanfordSball) February 23, 2020
Freshman Tatum Boyd was credited with the win after tossing a complete game and allowing just one run on four hits and two walks while striking out four. Boyd moved to 5-0 with the decision.
Kendall Fritz was charged with the game-two loss, allowing two runs (one earned) on 10 hits over 6.1 innings of work. Fritz fell to 2-4 with the loss.
Cowles, Taylor Gindlesperger and Kristina Inouye each finished the game with two hits, but it was a Cowles triple in the first inning that will be remembered. The triple was the senior's 18th of her career - tying Ashley Hansen (2009-12) for the program record.
B1 » ?? 0, ?? 0
— Stanford Softball (@StanfordSball) February 22, 2020
This triple from Teaghan Cowles is the 18th of her career - tying @ashl3yh (2009-12) for the program record!#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/3nDd1S8rm6
Stanford ran away with the opener on Saturday, capturing a 7-0 shutout victory behind another gem in the circle from freshman Alana Vawter. The right-hander dealt 6.1 innings and allowed just four hits while striking out four. Vawter improved to 4-0 on the season with the win.
Sophomore Molly Millar finished the game in the circle for Stanford, retiring the only two hitters she faced.
Cowles was 2-for-4 with a run scored in the opener, joined by Emily Schultz with a multi-hit game. Young scored twice in the game-one victory, while Hannah Howell delivered a pair of RBIs.
Leading 1-0 headed into the bottom of the fourth, Stanford scored four times in the inning to open up a 5-0 lead. The Cardinal tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth inning as Howell singled to drive in Young before Montana Dixon delivered an RBI-double to chase home Howell.
Stanford will look to sweep the three-game series over Nevada on Sunday at 1 p.m.