KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Stanford's win streak stretched to nine on Saturday, as the Cardinal (22-3) defeated ETSU and Toledo from the Tennessee Invitational. The victory was also Stanford's 17th in its last 18 games, and 19th in its last 21.
Sophomore Taylor Gindlesperger went 3-for-4 with two triples, a run scored and two RBIs to guide Stanford to a 5-3 victory over ETSU in game one on Saturday.
Gindlesperger's two-triple game was the first for the Cardinal since Teaghan Cowles posted a pair at Utah on March 24, 2018.
The Cardinal trailed 2-0 headed into the bottom of the third, but Stanford scored three runs in that inning, highlighted by an Emily Schultz RBI-single, to take a 3-2 lead.
Nikki Grupp, who finished 2-for-3 for ETSU, drew the Buccaneers even at three with a run in the top of the sixth, but freshman Alana Vawter emerged from the bullpen with the go-ahead run at third and nobody out and escaped the jam without any further damage. After Vawter walked Kylie Toler to put runners at the corners, Emily Young made a spectacular diving grab at shortstop for the first out. Vawter then proceeded to strike out the next two hitters to steal the momentum.
Gindlesperger came up clutch in the bottom of the sixth inning, breaking the stalemate with a two-out, two-RBI triple into the right-center field gap to eventually hand Stanford the victory. An error charged to shortstop Lauren Lee allowed Cowles to reach and extended the inning for Gindlesperger's triple.
Now pitching with the lead, Vawter logged a scoreless top of the seventh to seal the victory and improve to 8-0 on the season.
The triumph in the final at bat was the Cardinal's 12th such win of the season.
Stanford came out swinging in game two of the day against Toledo, scoring five runs in the first, six in the second and three more in the fourth en route to earning a 14-1 run-rule victory in five innings. The 14 runs are the most scored in a game by the Cardinal this year.
Stanford plated the five runs on four hits in the opening frame, highlighted by a two-RBI double from Kaitlyn Lim and RBI-singles from Kristina Inouye and Sydney Steele.
Lim finished the game 2-for-2 with the double, a run scored and two RBIs. Gindlesperger, Steele and Young also plated a pair – with Young collecting a triple. Stanford's all-time triples leader, Cowles, added to her total, going 2-for-2 with two runs score and the three-bagger.
A Gindlesperger sacrifice fly got the scoring started for the Cardinal in the six-run second, and RBI-singles from Steele and Montana Dixon, and Young's RBI-triple, fueled the rally.
Already leading 11-0 headed into the fourth, Stanford added three more runs in the inning, highlighted by a Gindlesperger RBI-double to take a 14-0 lead into the fifth.
Toledo managed to avoid the shutout on a Rebecca Cottrell home run in the top of the fifth, but the Cardinal did not allow any further damage.
Vawter started the game for the Cardinal, tossing the first two scoreless frames before sophomore Molly Millar went the next 2.1 scoreless. Millar did not allow a hit while striking out one to improve to 2-0 with the win. Senior Kiana Pancino finished the game in the circle and was charged with one run.
Stanford will now play for the Tennessee Invitational title on Sunday with the opponent to be determined between Tennessee and East Tennessee State.