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The Stanford softball team didn’t lose at home very often. The only teams which did it this year have combined for 19 of the 27 Women’s College World Series championships.
UCLA’s victory ended a long winning streak. Arizona’s doubleheader win ended Stanford’s dreams.
The Wildcats won twice, 7-3 and 6-5, on Friday night to capture the NCAA Super Regional at Stanford and advance to the WCWS in Oklahoma City. They join Georgia as the first two teams to claim one of the eight spots.
For the Cardinal, which finished one of its finest season yet at 48-11, has yet win a Super Regional in four tries.
For seniors Maddy Coon and Missy Penna, it was a sudden end. After winning Thursday night, it looked as though Stanford finally had Arizona’s number. The teams split their six games this season, with the Wildcats winning the most important two.
“We’ve been through a lot of postseason experience,” Coon said. “This team is something special and had great chemistry.”
It was tough for both coaches, whom have shared the best of times and the worst of times. A friend had to win, and a friend had to lose.
“We’ve spent a lot of good times together,” Arizona coach Mike Candrea said of his relationship with Stanford coach John Rittman. “We have a lot of respect for each other and we would never let friendship get in the way of competition.”
Stanford fell behind, 6-2, after the top of the sixth inning of the see-saw contest. Coon and freshman Ashley Hansen each drove in runs to help close the gap to 6-5 entering the final inning.
Arizona’s Lindsey Sisk, who entered the game after the Cardinal had already scored twice with no outs in the first, had the final say, striking out the side in the last inning.
The Wildcats used home runs from Sam Banister and Jenae Leles to produce four of the six runs. They lead the nation with 135 home runs as a team.
Shannon Koplitz had four hits and drove in three runs in the two games. Coon added two hits in the final contest.
Penna, Stanford’s record-setting pitcher, took the loss in both ends of the doubleheader.
— PA Weekly Sports Online
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— PA Weekly Sports Online
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— PA Weekly Sports Online
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Congrats to the Stanford Cardinal softball team for an amazing season. It would have been an honor to see them in the College World Series.
— A Wildcat Fan
I second LD’s comments. Arizona and Stanford never should have been paired against each other in the Supers. How do they come up with 8 & 9 seeds for these two teams? Stanford belongs in the World Series alongside Arizona. They both are among the nation’s top 8.