University of Oregon
12-17, 0-7
Stanford
24-4, 3-0
Ducks Can't Hold Early Lead in Series Opener
03/29/19 | Softball
How it Happened: The Ducks (12-17, 0-7 Pac-12) jumped on Stanford starter Carolyn Lee in the opening frame, loading the bases on a leadoff single by Haley Cruse and a pair of walks. Bunker came to the plate with two outs and crushed an 0-2 pitch over the fence in left field for a grand slam and the first home run of her career.
Oregon starter Jordan Dail worked out of jams in the first two innings to keep the Cardinal off the board, but Stanford took advantage of a pair of walks in the third inning with an RBI single and a sacrifice fly to put two runs on the board. Stanford added another run in the fourth on a solo homer to make it a one-run game, 4-3.
Freshman Jasmine Sievers got a run back for the Ducks in the top of the fifth, blasting a solo home run to left field for her third long ball of the season. But the Cardinal (24-4, 3-0 Pac-12) loaded the bases in the bottom half on a pair of walks and a double, and then tied the game on a walk and a hit batter. Stanford scored three more on a pair of singles to cap the five-run frame and take an 8-5 lead.
Freshman Rachel Cid blasted a solo home run in the top of the sixth to get Oregon back within two, but a couple nice defensive plays by the Cardinal helped keep the Ducks off the bases the rest of the way as Stanford opened the series with a win.
At the Plate: Bunker finished 2-for-3 with her first career grand slam and a season-high four RBIs to lead the offense. Sievers was 1-for-3 with a home run, and Cid moved into a tie with April Utecht for the team lead with her fifth homer of the season. Cruse went 2-for-4 in her return to the leadoff spot and Utecht finished 1-for-2.
In the Circle: Dail struck out seven over 5.2 innings while surrendering four runs with five walks. Maddie MacGrandle (2-6), who came in after the leadoff walk in the sixth and then turned things back over to Dail after hitting a batter to bring in a run and tie the game, took the loss after giving up four runs in 0.1 innings.
Up Next: Oregon and Stanford will meet in game two of the series at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The game will be live streamed by Stanford and KWVA will have the radio call at 88.1 FM.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lee, Carolyn (8-2)
L: MacGrandle, Maddie (2-6)
S: Pancino, Kiana (6)
Batting:
HR: Williams, Jasmine 1 ; Bunker, Allee 1 ; Cid, Rachel 1
RBI: Williams, Jasmine 1 ; Bunker, Allee 4 ; Cid, Rachel 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Burks, Cherish 1 ; Williams, Jasmine 1 ; Utecht, April 1 ; Bowden, Shaye 1 ; Bunker, Allee 1 ; Cid, Rachel 1
SB: Burks, Cherish 1
Batting:
2B: Burks, Whitney 1 ; Young, Emily 1
HR: Cowles, Teaghan 1
RBI: Cowles, Teaghan 2 ; Klingaman, Emily 2 ; Howell, Hannah 1 ; Young, Emily 1 ; Schultz, Emily 1 ; Cressey, Kate 1
SF: Young, Emily 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cowles, Teaghan 1 ; Klingaman, Emily 1 ; Dixon, Montana 1 ; Burks, Whitney 1 ; Howell, Hannah 1 ; Young, Emily 1 ; Schultz, Emily 1 ; Horeczko, Alyssa 1
HBP: Inouye, Kristina 1 ; Dixon, Montana 1 ; Cressey, Kate 1
