TUCSCON, Ariz. – Friday night was a night of history.
For the first time in program history Stanford scored 10 runs on Arizona in a 10-0 rout against the 25th-ranked Wildcats in five innings. It marks the first time the Cardinal (35-19, 10-13 Pac-12) has run-ruled a Pac-12 team this season, as well as the first victory over the Wildcats in Tucson in 10 years (March 30, 2012).
Kaitlyn Lim set the tone early for Stanford with a solo, two-out home run off the scoreboard in the top of the first inning, and from that moment on it was trademark Cardinal softball. Regan Krause was efficient in the circle, the defense played lights out, and Stanford got its bats going for 10 runs, 13 hits and 10 RBI.
Tonight marks the first time Stanford has registered 10 hits in back-to-back games since March 19 (Ball State and Mizzou) while matching its 13 hits from Thursday night. The 10 conference wins are the most for the program since 2013.
The Wildcats (33-19, 8-15 Pac-12) used two different pitchers and were held to five hits on the evening, stranding five runners in the process. Sydney Steele was 3-for-3 with two runs batted in, while Sydnee Huff batted in three runs while going 2-for-3 at the plate. Johnna Schroeder batted in three runs while Dani Hayes also had a double.
In the circle, Krause received run support at the plate and had a phenomenal defense playing behind her. She picked up the complete game shutout despite posting only one strikeout on the night. Stanford committed only a single error on the night and held the Wildcats to a .100 performance with runners on base (1-for-10).
The Cardinal scored in all five innings, including dropping a five spot in the top of the fifth to move into run-rule territory. Aly Kaneshiro singles, and Hayes and Schultz both drew walks to load the bases. With only one out Schroeder hit a hard-hit ball up the middle for a single to push Kaneshiro and Hayes across the plate for a 7-0 lead. Steele made it an 8-0 game on another single, but the Cardinal wouldn't stop there. Huff doubled to the gap in left center to push another two runs across for Stanford's most runs in a conference game this season.
With the series leveled at a game apiece, Stanford will play with a fourth-place finish in the conference on the line on Saturday. A win would give the Cardinal its first finish in the top four of the Pac-12 since 2013.
First pitch will be at noon.