KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Stanford's offense continued to roll and the pitching staff impressed as the Cardinal (20-3) earned a pair of wins to open the Tennessee Invitational on Friday. With the wins, Stanford has won seven straight games, 15 of its last 16, and 17 of its last 19 overall.
Highlighted by a 10-run third inning, Stanford captured a 13-0 run-rule win over Toledo in the opener. The Cardinal then broke a 2-2 tie with a three-run sixth inning en route to defeating the host Lady Vols, 7-2.
Stanford managed 13 runs on 10 hits against the Rockets, highlighted by a 2-for-3 day with a home run and four RBIs from sophomore Emily Schultz. Freshman Kaitlyn Lim also homered, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs. The round-tripper was Lim's team-best fourth of the season. Stanford's final home run came off the bat of Montana Dixon – who has now homered in three of her last six games.
Hitting out of the leadoff spot in the order, senior Teaghan Cowles went 2-for-3 with a double, a triple, two runs scored and one RBI. The triple was the 20th of her career – extending her Stanford record in the category.
The run support was plenty enough for freshman Tatum Boyd who tossed the first four scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and a walk to improve to 7-0 with the victory. Senior Nikki Bauer finished the game in the circle, striking out a pair.
The shutout was Stanford's Pac-12-leading ninth of the season.
Stanford's 10-run third inning was highlighted by a three-run homer from Schultz and a two-run shot from Lim.
Tennessee got on the board first in game two, plating a single run in the first inning, but Stanford responded for two runs in the second, including one on a single from Dixon, to take a 2-1 lead.
After the Lady Vols drew even at two in the fifth, the Cardinal broke through with three runs in the sixth inning to reclaim the lead. Stanford loaded the bases with nobody out in that inning, but it was a two-out bases-clearing triple from Emily Young that did all the damage.
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— Stanford Softball (@StanfordSball) March 7, 2020
Tennessee gets the first two outs without allowing a run, but Stanford doesn't let 'em off the hook as Young drops one just out of reach in centerfield!#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/2OMXT9n6Qf
The Cardinal added two insurance runs in the seventh on RBI-singles from Schultz and Sydney Steele, and Alana Vawter closed the door in the home half of the frame to seal the victory.
Vawter tossed her fifth complete game of the year in the victory, allowing just two runs on six hits with six strikeouts to improve to 8-0.
Stanford will play ETSU at 7 a.m. PT on Saturday, with a second game tomorrow to be determined based on results.