Stanford Softball Takes Home Win in Lone Matchup vs. Cal Baptist

Thursday's game was canceled, but the Cardinal were able to go out and win on Friday to take the series

Jun 2, 2024; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Stanford Cardinals infielder Emily Jones (18) runs to first fin the fifth inning against the UCLA Bruins 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

An extra day off may have been the key for the Stanford Cardinal in a win on Friday. With Thursday's game vs. Cal Baptist canceled due to bad weather, the Cardinal returned to action on Friday, taking home the 5-1 win against the Lancers at Stanford Stadium to continue their strong start to the season.

It was a solid day on the mound for Zoe Prystajko, who pitched 6.2 innings of one-run ball, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out three batters en route to earning the win. Kylie Chung finished the game, going 0.1 innings to seal the deal. Prystajko carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning.

Once again, the Cardinal had another field day at the plate, with Allie Clements starting things off in the third inning when she hit a single to center field to drive in both River Mahler and Emily Jones, opening the game up and giving the Cardinal a 2-0 lead to start off the day.

For the next few innings, the Cardinal were able to hold onto a 2-0 lead thanks to good pitching, but in the sixth inning, they were able to extend their lead even further when, with pinch runner Mylia Perez on base, Taryn Kern blasted a two-run homer to bring in Perez and give the Cardinal a 4-0 lead late in the game, making it increasingly harder for the Lancers to come back.

Later that same inning, with Jones standing on base, Mahler hit a hard base hit to right field, allowing Jones to come in and score, giving Stanford a 5-0 lead and its final run of the game. While Cal Baptist would go on to score a run via a solo homer in the seventh inning, it was not enough to cause concern as the game was already out of reach by that point.

With the win, the Cardinal have now extended their winning streak to six games and are 18-3 to begin the 2025 campaign. Last losing on Feb. 28 to Georgia Tech, the first game of the series that they would eventually take, the Cardinal have continued to dazzle and have shown that they should be major contenders in college softball this year.

Having made the previous two Women's College World Series, the Cardinal have returned to national prominence in recent years and are looking to seal the deal with their first ever WCWS title.

Next up for the Cardinal is a two-game series on Saturday and Sunday vs. Nevada before ACC play resumes next weekend with a road trip to Indiana to take on Notre Dame. The first game against Nevada is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at Stanford Stadium while Sunday's game is slated to begin at noon.