Stanford Softball Has a Nemesis in 2025

May 31, 2024; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Stanford Cardinals outfielder Kyra Chan (8) hits a single in the third inning against the Oklahoma State Cowgirls during a Women's College World Series softball losers bracket elimination game at Devon Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

The Stanford Cardinal softball program is off to a tremendous start, going 12-2 through the first three weekends of the season. However, both of those losses have come at the hands of No. 13 Arizona. On Thursday, Stanford fell 4-1 on the back-end of a doubleheader for their first defeat of the year. On Sunday, they fell to Arizona 10-2 in six innings.

After tossing a no-hitter in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader against UC Davis, Zoe Prystajko was touched up a bit in this one, lasting one inning and giving up three earned runs on three hits, which included back-to-back home runs.

Alyssa Houston came out of the bullpen to start the second inning, and her final line wasn't pretty, but she kept the mighty Arizona Wildcats offense scoreless for four frames. That was, until the sixth, and what turned out to be the final frame.

Houston ended up going 4.1 innings, giving up seven runs (five earned) on eight hits and two walks, while striking out five.

Stanford was able to put up a pair of runs, keeping this game close at 3-2 until the sixth, but the bats managed just two hits combined, with junior Kyra Chan and junior Emily Jones each hitting solo home runs in the third and fourth innings.

While Stanford dropped a pair of games for the first time this season, the weekend wasn't all bad. On Friday, they ended up hanging the first loss of the season on No. 1 ranked Texas, taking that one 9-5.

Next weekend will see the Cardinal partake in their first series of the season, traveling to Atlanta, Georgia to take on Georgia Tech for three games beginning on Friday, February 28 and running through March 2.

Friday's game will begin at 2 p.m. (PT), while Saturday's will be at 12 p.m. (PT). Sunday's finale is set for first pitch at 10 a.m. (PT). Georgia Tech is not ranked, and they are 9-7 on the season, including a 5-5 record at home.