STANFORD, Calif. – The No. 5 Cardinal fell 1-0 in extra innings to No. 12 UCLA, despite nine strong innings from sophomore pitcher NiJaree Canady. Stanford falls to 36-8 on the year, still atop the Pac-12 standings with a 13-3 conference record.
Sophomore Emily Jones extended her hitting streak to 13-straight games, thanks to a double in the first inning. The streak is the longest for a Stanford player since Taylor Gindlesperger reached base in 13-straight games during the 2022 season.
Canady's 11th strikeout of the night in the sixth inning was her 206th of the season, moving her up on the Cardinal all-time list with the ninth-most in a single season.
Neither side was able to break through in the first seven innings, as Canady and UCLA's Taylor Tinsley combined for 23 strikeouts and 10 hits allowed.
The Cardinal headed to the eighth inning for just the fifth time this season, and first time since March 3 against No. 5 Georgia. Stanford went 3-1 in the previous four extra-inning games.
After a scoreless eighth, Stanford headed to the ninth for just the third time all season – going 2-0 in the previous two games against Georgia as well as Colorado State on February 25.
The Bruins scored the lone run of the night in the top of the ninth, on a play at the plate that originally resulted in the runner being called out. Replay review resulted in the runner being ruled safe due to an obstruction call.
Canady finished the night with 12 strikeouts in nine innings pitched, allowing just the one run to score on eight hits and one walk.
The sophomore's 12 total punchouts bring her career total to 425, which is closing in on Ashely Chin's total of 427 for the seventh-most in program history.
The Cardinal and Bruins are back tomorrow, with first pitch scheduled for 4:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are sold out, but the game can be streamed on Pac-12 Networks.