STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford softball split a doubleheader against UC Santa Barbara to close out the DeMarini Invitational, Sunday at Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium. The Cardinal (11-3) run-ruled the visitors with a five-run sixth inning in the first game of the day, but stranded the tying run on first in the bottom of the seventh in the afternoon.
Sydney Steele provided the game-winning hit in the first game of the day to put the lid on a five-hit, three-run inning. Teaghan Cowles tripled into right center to bat Chloe Doyle and Aly Kaneshiro across the plate, and a two RBI single from Eleni Spirakis with the bases loaded put the winning run on third base.
Steele singled into left field to put the Cardinal up by eight runs. The sophomore finished the game 1-for-4 at the plate, while Spirakis was 2-for-3 with four RBI. Alana Vawter moved to 7-0 on the season and struck out five batters in 6.0 innings.
The Cardinal bats went quiet in the second game of the doubleheader, and the Gauchos (2-9) did just enough to hold on for the win.
Spirakis scored on a RBI double from Steele to put Stanford up 1-0 in the bottom of the second, but it did not score any runs over the final five innings. UC Santa Barbara three runs, one unearned, in the top of the third to take the lead.
Cowles and Emily Young drew walks in the bottom of the seventh to put the winning run at the plate, but with two outs in the inning the Cardinal did not have enough breathing room to rally.
Stanford will play a split weekend next week. The Cardinal will host St. Mary's in a doubleheader on Thursday, and travel to Cal Poly for a doubleheader on Sunday.