STANFORD, Calif. – No. 24 Stanford picked up a top-five series win tonight, riding a seven-run fourth inning to beat No. 5 Florida State 7-2. The win pushes the Cardinal to 25-12 on the season and 11-6 in ACC play, securing a series win over the Seminoles.
Florida State opened up the scoring almost immediately, with a solo home run on the second pitch of the game to take a 1-0 lead. After quiet second and third innings, the Seminoles pushed another across in the fourth to go ahead 2-0.
In the home half of the inning, the Cardinal responded in a big way. Stanford struck for seven runs in the inning, all coming with two outs, to take a commanding lead.
Ava Gall doubled in the first run of the inning, and after an Addyson Sheppard walk, Sydney Boulaphinh crushed a three-run home run to make it a 4-2 game. The homer turned the lineup over, and the top of order kept things moving. Taryn Kern walked, Emily Jones singled and Kyra Chan walked to load the bases for River Mahler.
Mahler, who led off the inning with a walk, singled on a hard-hit ball up the middle to bring in two and make it 6-2. Jade Berry followed her with an RBI single to bring in Chan and make it a 7-2 lead.
Ava Bulanti posted a shutdown inning in the top of the fifth, her third strong inning of relief. After Alyssa Houston started and allowed one run in two innings, Bulanti took over in the third.
The freshman exited the game with one out and a pair of runners on base, but Zoe Prystajko entered and got the Card out of the jam. Bulanti finished the game with 3.1 innings pitched, allowing just one earned run on three hits and three walks.
Bulanti earned the win for the second-consecutive game, moving to 3-0 on the season. All three of the Redwood City product’s wins have come in the last two weeks, and all three have come against ranked opponents.
Prystajko finished the game sharp in the circle, posting 1.2 scoreless innings. The sophomore struck out three, walked one and allowed just one hit.
Stanford closes out the series with the Seminoles tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra, and tickets are still available at Tickets.GoStanford.com.
POSTGAME NOTES:
- The seven runs scored by the Cardinal mark the 22nd time this season the team has scored seven or more runs in a game.
- The Cardinal has now won each of its last three series against top-10 NFCA Coaches Poll teams at the time of competition.
- Stanford won two of three at then-No. 8 Washington in April of 2024, and swept two Super Regional games at then-No. 5 Duke in May of 2023
- Freshman Ava Bulanti threw 3.1 innings of relief to earn the win, allowing one run on one hit
- Sophomore Sydney Boulaphinh hit her second home run of the season and eighth of her career.
- Senior River Mahler’s two RBI give her five in the last three games.