STANFORD, Calif. – The Cardinal posted a dominant all-around performance this evening, beating California 17-1 to move to 32-12 on the year and 16-6 in ACC play. The 17 runs scored were a season-best total, and the one run allowed marked four-straight games holding the opposition to two or fewer runs. All of this combined for a 10th-straight win for No. 16 Stanford, extending a season-best winning streak.
The Cardinal jumped out to a quick lead, scoring four in the top of the first. Each of the first four batters for the Card reached base, capped by River Mahler’s bases-loaded single to bring in the first run. Jade Berry and Joie Economides each drove in runs on sacrifice flies to make it a 3-0 lead.
Ava Gall brough in the last run of the inning with an RBI single to make it 4-0 heading into the bottom of the first.
The Cardinal added three more in the top of the second, thanks to two two-out triples. Kyra Chan tripled to score Emily Jones, then Mahler walked. Berry tripled off the wall to bring in Chan and Jones, making it a 7-0 game.
Then in the third, the Card’s bats really caught fire. 10 runs came home in the inning on seven hits, including two home runs by Sydney Boulaphinh. Boulaphinh accounted for six runs in the inning on just two swings, giving her a career-best six RBI in the game.
Mahler added an RBI single, Economides brought in a run on an RBI fielder’s choice, and Addyson Sheppard plated two on a single to make it a 17-0 Cardinal lead.
The lead was more than enough for the Stanford pitching staff. Alyssa Houston earned the win, starting and allowing just one hit in a scoreless outing. Ava Bulanti finished the game, allowing one run on two hits in the final two innings.
The win gives Stanford 16 wins in the last 20 meetings with the Golden Bears, and puts Paul A. Violich Director of Softball Jessica Allister at 16-7 against the Bears since taking over at her alma mater agead of the 2018 season.
Stanford and California go again tomorrow, with first pitch scheduled for 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:
- Stanford has now won 10-straight games, extending a season best.
- The Cardinal has held its competition to two runs or less in seven of the 10 wins.
- The Cardinal scored in the first inning for the seventh time in the last nine games.
- Stanford has now won 17 of the last 20 meetings with California.
- Senior Emily Jones extended her hitting streak to 10 games.
- Junior Alyssa Houston earned the win in the circle, moving to 4-2 on the season behind three shutout innings.
- Sophomore Sydney Boulaphinh’s two home runs in the third doubled her season total, giving her four on the year and 10 in her career.
- Senior Taryn Kern’s two runs scored tonight give her 60 on the year, tied for the fifth-most in a season in program history.
- Kern now has 167 career runs scored, just one shy of the sixth-most in program history.