COLUMBIA, Mo. – Stanford softball started the Mizzou Classic on a convincing note, sweeping its Saturday doubleheader against Ball State, 6-1, and No. 18/17 Missouri, 7-4 in eight innings. The Cardinal improves to 20-4 this spring.
BALL STATE RECAP
Stanford wasted no time jumping to a strong start to open the first inning against Ball State. Regan Krause struck out the side in the top of first, and the Cardinal responded with six-straight singles to open the bottom half of the inning.
Kaitlyn Lim and Caelan Koch each batted in a pair of runs as Stanford put up four runs in the frame.
Ball State was able to add a run in the top of the fourth, but it stranded runners on the corners after Stanford regained its composure to record back-to-back outs.
Emily Klingaman scored an insurance run on a double-steal attempt, and Krause retired the side on three groundouts in the seventh to preserve the win. The sophomore allowed only four hits and zero walks in the complete game victory.
Emily Young was 2-for-2 at the plate, while six different players scored runs for the Cardinal.
MIZZOU RECAP
The momentum carried into the second half of the doubleheader, with Stanford earning its second ranked victory of the campaign, 7-4.
After three scoreless frames, Missouri struck first with a pair of home runs to take a 3-0 lead, but the Cardinal responded with three of its own in the top of the sixth to tie the game. A double from Koch and a single from Emily Schultz started the sequence, with Ellee Eck driving both teammates home with a triple down the line in right field. Taylor Gindlesperger leveled the score with a single to left to plate Eck with two outs.
For the third time this season, Stanford went to extra innings, with the Cardinal moving to 2-1 this season in those games. Young and Lim plated teammates with fielder's choices to give the visitors a 5-3 edge, while Aly Kaneshiro brought home a third with a sacrifice fly. Schultz wrapped up the four-run eighth inning with an RBI single.
Schultz led the offense with a 4-for-4 day at the plate, including a double and an RBI, while Eck brought home a pair of teammates. Gindlesperger finished the evening 3-for-5 with one RBI, while Alana Vawter tossed her ninth complete game of the year, improving to 11-2 in the circle.
The Cardinal returns to action on Sunday with a pair of Top-25 matchups. Stanford opens Sunday against No. 14/12 Northwestern at 10:30 a.m. PT before the rematch with the No. 18/17 Tigers at 3:30 p.m. PT.