CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The No. 19 Cardinal won a wild series finale at North Carolina this evening, topping the Tar Heels for a third-straight day 15-12 to move to 18-8 on the season and 8-4 in ACC play. The game featured five lead changes and 27 combined runs scored, but Stanford secured the series sweep with timely hitting across the board.
Stanford finished the game with nine runs driven in with two out, going 9-16 with two outs and 8-for-14 with runners in scoring position. The Card made the most of opportunities, walking seven times and going 12-22 with runners on base.
The Cardinal scored in the first inning for the third-straight game, thanks to a leadoff triple from Taryn Kern. After Emily Jones walked and stole second, Kyra Chan brought a run in on an RBI groundout. Jade Berry followed things up with a sacrifice fly to make an early 2-0 lead.
North Carolina answered right back to take the lead in the bottom of the first, scoring five to go ahead 5-3.
After the five-run first inning, the Cardinal bats put up five of their own in the top of the second to retake the lead. Addyson Sheppard opened it up, crushing a solo home run to left to make it 5-3. Then with two outs, Stanford loaded the bases for Chan.
The senior doubled off the wall in left field to bring in three, putting the Card ahead 6-5. Then Chan scored on a base hit from Berry, making it a 7-5 game.
The Tar Heels answered with three runs in the bottom of the second to go back in front 8-7.
Both pitching staffs finally settled in in the third, the first scoreless inning of the game.
Emily Jones got the scoring going again in the fourth, hitting a two-run home run to straightaway center to put Stanford ahead at 9-8. The Card rally wasn’t over – Sheppard hit a two-out triple off the top of the wall in right field to triple and score Chan from third. Then Zoe Prystajko singled to bring her home from third for an 11-8 scoreline.
North Carolina scored in the bottom of the fourth to make it an 11-9 game, but again the Cardinal had a response.
River Mahler singled in a pair of runs in the top of the fifth, making it a 13-9 game. The RBI knock was Stanford’s seventh two-out hit of the game, but wouldn’t be the last.
Jones doubled in a run with one out in the top of the sixth, then Chan singled in another two-out run to make it 15-9
The seventh inning saw Anna Brewer open the inning in the circle, but the freshman ended up playing right field and first base for multiple batters. In the end, North Carolina scored three to cut the lead to three runs, but Brewer struck out the final batter to earn the win and secure the sweep.
Brewer finished the day with two earned runs allowed in 4.2 non-consecutive innings of relief.
The Cardinal remains on the road, heading to Greenville, N.C. on Wednesday for a midweek bout with East Carolina. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. PT and can be streamed on ESPN+.
POSTGAME NOTES:
- The Cardinal’s 15 runs tonight make 15 games this season with seven or more runs.
- Stanford finished the game with nine two-out RBIs, hitting 9-for-16 as a team when down to the final out of an inning.
- With runners in scoring position, the Card was 8-for-14.
- Freshman Addyson Sheppard’s home run was her fifth of the season.
- Senior Emily Jones’ home run was her second of the season, and 12th of her career.
- Senior Taryn Kern’s four runs scored are tied for the second-most in a single game in program history.
- Kern finishes the weekend 7-for-9 with four extra-base hits, including two home runs.