DURHAM, N.C. – The Cardinal bats came alive today, including a six-run fifth inning to beat No. 24 Duke. 11-4 in Durham. No. 19 Stanford moves to 20-9 on the season and 9-5 in conference play. Taryn Kern led the way for the Card with a pair of home runs, both of which led off innings to jumpstart the offense.
Stanford started the scoring early, bringing in a pair of runs with two outs. Jade Berry doubled to score Kyra Chan from first, then Berry crossed home on an RBI single from River Mahler to make it 2-0.
Duke threatened in the bottom of the first, but Anna Brewer was able to work around a pair of walks to escape the inning scoreless.
The Cardinal added another pair of runs in the third, beginning with a solo homer from Kern. Kern’s long ball was her 10th of the season, her second-straight season with double-digit home runs. Emily Jones followed it up with a single, coming around to score on a sacrifice fly from Mahler to make it 4-0.
Stanford exploded for a big inning in the fifth, scoring six to take a commanding 10-0 lead. Kern led off the inning with another solo home run to make it a 5-0 lead. Mahler brought in her third RBI of the game four batters later, making it 6-0.
Then with Chan on third, Addyson Sheppard out down a bunt to score Chan on a suicide squeeze. For good measure, Joie Economides crushed a three-run homer to make it a 10-0 lead.
Economides’ homer was her second in as many games, and fourth of the season.
Duke scored three in the bottom of the fifth and one in the sixth to cut into the lead at 10-4 heading into the seventh inning.
Another run came around for Stanford in the seventh, after Economides reached on an error. Ava Gall singled to bring in Boulaphinh, running for Economides, making it 11-4 on the unearned run.
Brewer earned the win in the circle, tossing five non-consecutive scoreless innings with just two hits allowed.
The Cardinal and Blue Devils wrap the series tomorrow, squaring off at 9:00 a.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
POSTGAME NOTES:
- The win was number 600 in Paul A. Violich Director of Softball Jessica Allister’s career, all 600 of which have also come with Jessica Mendoza Associate Head Coach Jessica Allister.
- Stanford’s 11 runs mark the 18th time this season the team has scored seven or more runs in a game.
- Senior Taryn Kern’s two home runs give her 11 on the season and 37 in her career.
- The home run makes eight-straight games for Stanford with a home run.
- Sophomore Joie Economides’ home run in the fifth was her fourth of the season and second in as many games.
- Seniors Emily Jones and Kyra Chan extended their hitting streaks to nine and eight games, respectively.
- Senior River Mahler finished the day 2-for-2 with three RBI.
- Freshman Anna Brewer earned the win in the circle, allowing just two hits and no runs in five non-consecutive innings.