Opening ActOpening Act
Karen Ambrose Hickey/Stanford Athletics
Softball

Opening Act

STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford softball run-ruled Santa Clara, 8-0, to close out its opening weekend of play, Sunday at Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium. The Cardinal scored eight unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth innings, while Alana Vawter pitched a two-hit shutout.

Vawter ended the day with five strikeouts on only 55 pitches, facing the minimum of 15 batters. Both of Santa Clara's (0-1) runners who got on base were thrown out trying to steal second by Montana Dixon.

Locked in a pitcher's duel through three innings, Stanford (4-0) broke free in the bottom of the fourth with a five-run inning, registering six hits in the frame. Emily Schultz opened the inning with a single up the middle on an 0-2 count, and a flyout from Vawter put runners on the corners with one out.

Kristina Inouye provided the spark to break the deadlock, singling into shallow left field to bat in Schultz from third. Eleni Spirakis and Inouye scored on a Sydney Steele sacrifice fly and Teaghan Cowles single to give the Cardinal a 3-0 lead. Emily Young extended the lead to 5-0 on a two RBI single into left field.

Stanford closed out the game early, scoring three runs in the fifth inning to to end the game on a run rule. Kaitlyn Lim scored on a fielder's choice by Sydney Steele in the infield, and Hannah Matteson made it 7-0 on a RBI groundout by Kate Cressey.

Needing just one more run to end the game early, Taylor Gindlesperger hit a ball into the dirt with runner's on second and third. The Bronco third baseman went to barehand the ball, but couldn't make a play before Aly Kaneshiro crossed the plate for the game-winning run.

The Cardinal logged eight hits on the day, led by 2-for-3 efforts at the plate by Inouye and Young. Young and Steele also batted in a pair of runs.  

Stanford will look to extend its start to the season to 5-0 on Tuesday in a rematch with the Broncos. First pitch at Santa Clara is set for 4 p.m. PT.