EUGENE, OR - No. 7 Stanford opened Pac-12 play in winning fashion, defeating No. 20 Oregon in eight innings, 3-1, on Friday night at Jane Sanders Stadium. The win was the 21st in a row for the Cardinal.
Senior Alana Vawter (10-1) started in the circle and picked up the win for Stanford (23-2, 1-0 Pac-12). The right-hander went seven innings, giving up one run on five hits, allowing two walks and striking out three. Freshman NiJaree Canady picked up the save with a scoreless eighth frame.
Offensively the Cardinal was paced by senior Kaitlyn Lim, who went 3-for-4 on the day with a double and an RBI. Senior Emily Schultz put together a standout day at the plate as well, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
The Oregon run in the third inning was the first run Stanford had allowed in 56.2 innings, dating back to Feb. 26 vs. Michigan. The win snapped a run of eight consecutive shutouts.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Cardinal got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with one run in the top of the first inning. Gindlesperger came across to score after a leadoff triple, with River Mahler's sacrifice fly giving Stanford a 1-0 lead.
After the Ducks rallied to tie the ballgame at one, the Cardinal came back to retake the lead in the eighth inning. Stanford picked up two runs in the frame, starting with an RBI single by Lim and followed by an RBI double from Schultz, which brought the score to 3-1 in favor of the Cardinal.
GAME NOTES
» Lim led the Cardinal at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
» Stanford's highest scoring inning was the eighth, when it pushed two runs across.
» Stanford took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the first and didn't surrender that lead for the remainder of the game.
» The Cardinal out-hit the Ducks at a 9-5 clip.
» Stanford pitchers faced 28 Oregon hitters in the game, allowing 10 ground balls and six fly balls while striking out four.
Stanford returns to action in Eugene with game two of the three-game series on Saturday, March 18. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Pac-12 Network.