STANFORD, Calif. – For the second straight season, the Stanford Cardinal will be at the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. Tonight's 8-0 run-rule victory over the ninth-seeded LSU Tigers punched the team's ticket for the fourth time in program history.
Sophomore pitcher NiJaree Canady shut out the Tigers for the second-straight night, tossing a three hitter with three strikeouts and only one walk issued.
LSU's best scoring opportunity came in the top of the fifth, with the bases loaded and only one out. Sophomore Kyra Chan collected a fly ball in left and threw a strike home to senior Aly Kaneshiro, who laid out to put the tag on the Tigers runner and end the inning with a double play.
After surviving the Tigers' best in the top of the inning, the Cardinal bats exploded in the bottom half. Sophomore River Mahler wasted no time with a leadoff triple. Sophomore Emily Jones drove her home in the next at bat, with an RBI fielder's choice to put Stanford on top 1-0.
After taking the one-run lead, the Cardinal had two runners thrown out at the plate. But three-straight singles drove in runs to make it a 4-0 lead. Then freshman Jade Berry stepped into the box with two runners on.
The freshman didn't wait, taking the first pitch to dead center to make it 7-0 with a three-run homer.
Canady slammed the door in the top of the sixth with a perfect inning, setting the stage for grad student Kaitlyn Lim in the bottom of the frame.
On the first pitch she saw, Lim went yard to make it an 8-0 lead – walking off the game and demonstrably sending the Card to Oklahoma City.
The Card are one of just three teams from last year's World Series to make it back in 2024, joining Oklahoma, Alabama and Oklahoma State.
Stanford's first game in OKC will be on Thursday, against Texas at 5:00 p.m. PT. The Cardinal and Longhorns split two appearances this season, with Stanford taking a win in Austin in February.
