EUGENE, Ore. – Stanford softball brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh, but it could not complete the comeback in a 7-4 loss to No. 6/7 Oregon, Saturday at Jane Sanders Stadium.
The Cardinal (24-13, 4-7 Pac-12) jumped to an early lead, but a costly third inning gave Oregon the series-clinching victory. Emily Young and Kaitlyn Lim scored on a failed squeeze play when no one covered home for a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. In the top of the third, Aly Kaneshiro doubled to deep left center to bat Taylor Gindlesperger in from second.
Kaneshiro was 2-for-3 on the day, adding a walk.
1?-2?-3? straight hits with two outs brings home another run!
— Stanford Softball (@StanfordSball) April 24, 2021
Kaneshiro doubles to deep left center, and @taylornicole25 get it done on the base paths for the RBI! ??
T3 | ??3, ??0#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/vRjVx4wsLj
Leading 3-0 in the middle of the third, Stanford made two errors to allow six runs in the bottom half of the inning. An error at third base loaded the bases with no outs, as Oregon (30-9, 8-6 Pac-12) scored its first run off a hit by pitch on the next batter. Two batters later, an error on a RBI single brought an additional run across, forcing the Cardinal to turn to Molly Millar in the circle.
The junior entered the game with two runners in scoring position and no outs. Despite being called to action in a jam, Millar allowed only one earned run on the day.
Oregon made it a 6-3 ballgame when the runner from third scored on a 463 double play. The Ducks added an insurance run on a RBI groundout in the bottom of the sixth.
Stanford put up a fight in the top of the seventh to chase starting pitcher Brooke Yanez out of the game. Taylor Gindlesperger reached on a fielding error to give Sydney Steele plenty of time to make it a 7-4 game, with no outs. The Ducks turned to Regan Breedlove with the tying run stepping to the plate.
Eleni Spirakis grounded into a 43 double play to put the Cardinal in a two-out hole with only a runner on third. Young came to the plate as the tying run after Kaneshiro was walked, but Young was retired on a groundout to end the game.
Stanford has a chance to finish the series on a high note and pick up its second win of the weekend on Sunday. First pitch in the series finale is set for 10:30 a.m. PT, with the game being available through the Oregon Live Stream. Sunday's game will count towards the Pac-12 standings.