SAN DIEGO - The Cardinal went 1-1 at day three of the SDSU Season Kickoff today, falling 3-2 to No. 25 Kentucky in extra innings before shutting out Minnesota 3-0. Sophomore pitcher NiJaree Canady finished with 14 strikeouts in the loss to Kentucky, which is tied for the 12th-most in a single game in program history.
The Card opened the scoring against Kentucky early, with sophomore Kyra Chan crossing home on an error to give Stanford a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Chan had reached on a fielder's choice before stealing second to move into scoring position. Canady followed it up with a shutdown inning, striking out the side to close the first.
Canady kept the hot start going, striking out the side again in the second to make six-straight batters sent down on strikeouts. Canady opened the third inning with a strikeout to make it seven-straight, before a flyout to right field broke the streak. The Topeka, Kan. product followed it up with another strikeout to make it eight of the first nine batters retired by strikeout.
Canady's 14 strikeouts on the day bring her season total to 29 through 14.1 innings pitched, averaging 2.02 strikeouts per inning on the young season.
Kentucky got on the board in the fifth inning, with a solo homer to tie it up at 1-1. The score held through the seventh, sending it to extra innings.
In the top of the seventh, Chan drove in Dani Hayes on a fielder's choice to give the Card a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth.
Kentucky would walk off in the bottom half of the inning to win 3-2.
In part two of the doubleheader, Regan Krause dominated Minnesota with a four-hit shutout, striking out four.
The scoring started in the fifth inning, when Chan hit into a fielder's choice to score River Mahler to score from third.
The Card would extend the lead in the bottom of the sixth, when Mahler drew a bases-loaded walk to score sophomore Emily Jones. The next batter, sophomore Taryn Kern, was hit by a pitch to score freshman Jade Berry and make it a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the seventh, Krause retired the side in order to seal the win.
Berry and freshman Ava Gall both earned their first collegiate hits against Kentucky.
Stanford wraps up the SDSU Season Kickoff tomorrow, with a 9:00 a.m. game against UCSB.
