STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford softball ended up on the wrong side of a 1-0, pitcher's duel, dropping the rubber match to No. 5 Washington on Saturday at Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium.
Washington scored on a RBI single up the middle in the top of the seventh, and the Cardinal (31-20, 9-12 Pac-12) went down in order in the bottom half of the inning to end the game. Despite the loss, Stanford split the overall weekend series after Friday's doubleheader sweep.
Both teams combined for eight hits, as Alana Vawter and Gabbie Plain dueled for the second time this weekend. Vawter struck out two batters, allowing three hits and three walks in her 21st complete game of the season.
Stanford nearly scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on first and second, and only one out. Kristina Inouye singled deep into the six hole that all-American shortstop Sis Bates was just able to get a hold of. The throw wasn't in time to second, but the Huskies (41-11, 18-5 Pac-12) made the throw to home as Emily Schultz was closing in on the plate. Schultz slid in as the catcher went to make the tag, but she was called out on the play by the home plate umpire to maintain the scoreless deadlock.
The Cardinal await its postseason fate, which will be announced with tomorrow's NCAA selection show, at 6 p.m. PT on ESPN2.