STANFORD, Calif. – Sunday was one for the ages.
For the first time since 2013, Stanford softball won the series against UCLA, courtesy of a 1-0 victory over the second-ranked Bruins at Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium. UCLA (32-5, 10-2 Pac-12) entered this weekend having not been shut out once all season but suffered back-to-back shutouts at the hands of the Cardinal (26-10, 5-4 Pac-12).
Alana Vawter was masterful in the circle once again to take sole possession as the conference's leader in wins – picking up her 16th of the season. The junior struck out five to four hits and zero walks to earn her eighth shutout and 15th complete game of the season and earn the highest-ranked win of her career.
Sunday's game was Vawter's fifth, 1-0 victory of the year.
Stanford ended up on the positive side of the pitcher's duel for the second-straight day, thanks primarily to timely hitting in the bottom of the third. Aly Kaneshiro doubled off the left field to put a runner in scoring position. With two outs in the frame, Taylor Gindlesperger laced up double up the middle that went past the out-stretched hands of UCLA second baseman, Anna Vines. Kaneshiro had plenty of time to score the winning run.
Gindlesperger, who ended the day 1-for-3, notched the only hit with a runner in scoring position on the day, as both teams combined to go 1-for-7 with a runner on second or third. The Bruins put a runner on second only once in the game, as the Cardinal defense retired the side in second and sixth innings.
Stanford picked up its fourth Top-25 win of the season, and its third over a Top-10 team with Sunday's victory. The Cardinal return to action for a rivalry matchup at California this coming week, April 14-16, in Berkeley.