STANFORD, Calif. – Cardinal freshman Sydney Boulaphinh introduced herself in a big way this afternoon, hitting a two-run homer in her first college at-bat to walk off against Fresno State in run-rule fashion. No. 18 Stanford moved to 4-0 on the season, wrapping up a perfect weekend to open the year.
Fresno State jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but as has been the case so far this season, the Cardinal answered right back. Junior Taryn Kern led off the bottom of the first with a crushed home run over the right-field fence to tie the game at 1-1.
A solo shot from Fresno State in the top of the third put the Bulldogs back ahead, but once again the Stanford bats answered. After a leadoff double from Kern, junior River Mahler drove her in with an RBI single to tie the game back at 2-2.
The Card took the lead in the bottom of the fourth, after junior Kyra Chan came around to score on an RBI fielder’s choice. Grad student Caelan Koch beat out a potential inning-ending double play at first, and Chan kept running on the play to score from second.
Sophomore Alyssa Houston followed up with a shutdown inning, striking out the side to send it to the home half of the fifth with the Card leading 3-2.
The bats exploded in the fifth. Sophomore Jade Berry earned a bases-loaded walk to drive in a run, then Chan stepped into the box with the bases loaded and promptly crushed a grand slam to make it 8-2. After freshman Joie Economides singled, Kern’s spot in the lineup was due up. Boulaphinh entered the box as a pinch hitter.
Boulaphinh’s homer to right made it a 10-2 final score.
Houston picked up the win after two perfect innings of relief, striking out four of her six batters faced.
The win wraps up the 2025 Stanford Invitational, with the Cardinal going a perfect 4-0 to open the season. Stanford is back at home with another tournament at Stanford Stadium next weekend. The Cardinal Classic starts on Friday, with Stanford hosting UC Davis at 3:30 p.m. PT, followed by UC Riverside at 6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available at Tickets.GoStanford.com, and the games can be streamed on ACC Network Extra.
POSTGAME NOTES:
- The Cardinal’s 4-0 start is the best open to a season since 2021. Stanford has now opened the season 4-0 four times under Jessica Allister (‘25, ‘21, ‘19, ’17).
- Stanford has an opportunity to move to 5-0 next weekend, the first such start since the team went 13-0 to start the 2014 season.
- Juniors Taryn Kern and Kyra Chan each hit their first home run of the season.
- Kern and Chan have both picked up a hit in each of the first four games to open the season.
- Sophomore Alyssa Houston earned her first win of the season, after tossing two perfect innings of relief and striking out four.
- Freshman Sydney Boulaphinh hit a two-run homer in her first collegiate at-bat.