STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford softball closed out the Stanford Invitational with a 5-1 record following a sweep of Seattle and San Jose State, Sunday at Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium. The wins improve the Cardinal to 9-2 on the season – matching its start in 2021.
SEATTLE RECAP
Kaitlyn Lim and Sydney Steele homered to lead Stanford to a 5-0 victory over the Redhawks (7-3), while Molly Millar was untouchable in the circle in relief to lead the defense to its third shutout of the weekend – and second over Seattle.
Millar picked up her first victory of the season after entering the game in the top of the third. The senior replaced Regan Krause on a 1-0 count with the bases loaded, and she responded to the adverse situation by striking out the Redhawks' number five
hitter in the lineup. From there Millar allowed one runner on a walk while striking out four of the 14 batters she faced.
Stanford struck in the top of the fifth on a three-run home run to left center from Kaitlyn Lim – her third on the weekend – to bat in Emily Young and Taylor Gindlesperger. Sydney Steele followed with a two-run home run in the sixth inning to make it a 5-0 game.
On the weekend, the Cardinal outscored Seattle 12-0.
SAN JOSE STATE RECAP
Stanford concluded the weekend with a narrow 2-1 victory over San Jose State (4-5) in the final game of the tournament. Alana Vawter took a perfect game through 5.2 innings to pick up her fourth win of the season. The junior didn't allow a base runner until Jillian Figueroa snuck a single down the left field line with two outs in the top of the sixth.
While the Spartans fought back to put the go-ahead run at the plate in the seventh inning, Vawter ended the game on a called strike three in the seventh inning for a 2-1 victory.
Aly Kaneshiro homered in the second inning, while Lim batted Gindlesperger in on a double to right field in the third inning for the game-winning RBI.
Gindlesperger was 3-for-3 with a run in the game, while Chloe Doyle was 2-for-3. Vawter struck out six batters – her third game reaching the milestone – in a complete game win.
Stanford returns to action with five straight games at home, opening with a Thursday night battle against Saint Mary's at 6 p.m. The Cardinal will then host the DeMarini Invitational, Feb. 25-27.