DURHAM, N.C. – No. 19 Stanford rallied to overcome an early three-run deficit, but was unable to hold off No. 24 Duke this afternoon in Durham. The Cardinal fell 6-4 to move to 18-9 on the season and 8-5 in ACC play.
Duke opened the scoring with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first. Ava Bulanti came in in relief with two out and the bases loaded, but got a flyout to get Stanford out of the inning without any more damage. The Cardinal answered in the top of the second with a home run of their own.
Joie Economides took a pitch opposite field, putting it over the right-field fence for a solo homer to make it 3-1. The long ball was her third of the season and the 18th of her career.
Bulanti exited the game in the third, finishing with 1.2 scoreless innings of high-leverage relief. The freshman only allowed one hit in the outing.
Stanford took the lead with a three-run fourth inning, coming on three hits. Sophia Jin reached on her second bunt single of the day to load the bases for Taryn Kern. Kern brought in a painful RBI, getting hit by a pitch to bring in a run from third. River Mahler followed it up with an RBI single, before Jade Berry draw a bases-loaded walk for the third run of the inning.
When the inning was over, The Card led 4-3 and had chased Duke starter Cassidy Curd from the circle.
The Blue Devils retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth after a pair of miscues in the outfield. Jin lost a ball in the sun, with the fly ball dropping for a double. Then an error in left field on an RBI single brought in a second, unearned, run.
Duke added another run in the fifth, bringing in a leadoff double thanks to a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly.
Stanford was unable to rally in the sixth or seventh.
Stanford takes on the Blue Devils again tomorrow, with first pitch set for 2:00 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network.
POSTGAME NOTES:
- Freshman Sophia Jin earned her first career start in centerfield.
- Jin finished the day 2-for-3 at the plate.
- Sophomore Joie Economides’ home run in the second was her third of the season, and 18th of her career.
- Economides’ homer makes it seven-straight games with at least one home run for the Cardinal.
- Sophomore Joie Economides finished the day 2-for-2 with a home run and two walks.
- Senior Kyra Chan kept her hitting streak alive at seven games with a double in the first inning.
- Freshman Ava Bulanti notched her first scoreless appearance since March 8 against Pitt, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings of relief.