April 28, 2004

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Palo Alto Online

Cardinal softball moves up in race

by Rick Eymer

The Stanford softball team showed its resiliency over the weekend and found itself in second place in the Pac-10 as a result.

The eighth-ranked Cardinal won a pitcher's duel behind senior Dana Sorensen, 1-0, over No. 4 UCLA on Friday, came back to outslug No. 6 Washington, 12-9, on Saturday as Jessica Allister drove in three runs, and then claimed an extra-inning, 3-2, victory over the Huskies on Sunday as Meghan Sickler drove in the winning run in the eighth.

Stanford (8-4, 38-12) is tied for second with Oregon, three games behind conference leader Arizona (9-1, 45-2), which hosts the Cardinal in two games over the weekend.

Stanford plays at Arizona State on Friday night.

On Sunday, Allister gave Stanford a 2-0 lead with a bases-loaded single in the first. Sorensen struck out the first eight batters she faced and retired the first 10.

Washington tied the score with a two-run homer in the fourth.

The Cardinal loaded the bases in the seventh, but didn't score.

In the eighth, Allister was hit by a pitch and Elizabeth Bendig singled ahead of Sickler's game-winning hit.

Sorensen (23-7) tossed a three-hitter with 14 strikeouts for her 22nd complete game of the season. She has 249 strikeouts in 199 2-3 innings and an ERA of 1.19.

Sorensen recorded her 10th shutout of the season on Friday night in a four-hit effort against the Bruins.

Stanford scored its run in the sixth. Jackie Rinehart beat out an infield single, her third hit of the day, and Heather Shook walked. After Catalina Morris forced Rinehart at third, Lauren Lappin singled to drive in Shook.

On Saturday, the Huskies and Cardinal combined for 21 runs - only six were earned - on 27 hits. Morris, Lappin, Bendig, Allister, Leah Nelson and Katherine Hoffman each had two hits. Morris, who hit a home run, Lappin and Nelson each added two RBI.

Stanford carried a 12-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh and winning pitcher Laura Severson (13-5) needed help from Sorensen, who recorded her fifth save, to escape with the victory. Severson allowed just three earned runs and struck out four.

Allister improved to .429 in Pac-10 play, and has a .686 slugging percentage.

Baseball

Mark Romanczuk was the beneficiary of a season-high 21 hits on Friday night as No. 2 Stanford defeated visiting Sacramento State, 15-1, in a nonconference game.

Jeff Gilmore wasn't so lucky on Saturday night, as the Hornets came back to beat visiting Stanford, 2-1. Gilmore took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and Sacramento State won despite getting just two hits in the contest.

Stanford (31-6) returns to Pac-10 action when the Cardinal host Washington State in a three-game series beginning Friday at 6 p.m.

Among the offensive outburst on Friday was three hits by Brian Hall, who extended his hitting streak to a career-high 21 games. He went hitless on Saturday.

Donny Lucy recorded his first four-hit game on Friday, which included a home run and two RBI. John Mayberry, Jr. had three hits, including his 10th homer of the season, and drove in four runs.

"Every guy in the lineup is swinging the bat well," said Lucy. "It's a ton of fun. Hitting is very contagious. It's become a healthy competition with guys trying to outdo each other."

Chris Carter also had three hits while Sam Fuld, Jed Lowrie, and Danny Putnam each added two hits. Lowrie hit his team-high 12th homer.

Fuld moved past Paul Carey into sole possession of second-place on Stanford's all-time hit list and now has 334.

Romanczuk allowed one run on four hits in eight innings. He struck out seven, and retired 14 straight at one point.

"I felt I had some of the best stuff I've had all year," said Romanczuk, who lowered his ERA to 3.82 and won for the fifth time in his last six decisions. "I think I did two really good things tonight by getting ahead of hitters and being able to put guys away."

Romanczuk improved his career record at Stanford to 20-3 and now ranks fourth all-time at Stanford with an .870 career winning percentage.

On Saturday, the Cardinal ran into Sacramento State starter Ethan Katz (7-4), who tossed a complete-game four-hitter and allowed an unearned run to pick up the victory.

Stanford put the tying run in scoring position in the top of the ninth when Lucy singled with one out and stole second. He was still there when the game ended.

Gilmore gave up two runs -- one earned -- and two hits with two walks and three strikeouts over six innings.

Lucy extended his career-high hit streak to 13 with his ninth-inning single, while Putnam had a single in the fourth to run his current hit streak to a career-high-tying 10 games.

"This game shows you a lot about baseball," said Hall. "You have to come out ready to play and respect every opponent. I don't think we underestimated them at all. It was just one of those days where we just couldn't get anything to fall. That can happen, but that's what makes baseball fun."
Women's water polo

Second-ranked Stanford will enter the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament on a high note after beating host San Jose State, 8-3, on Friday in the regular season finale.

Lauren Faust scored twice for Stanford (10-1, 18-3), which has the No. 2 seed in the upcoming conference tournament to determine who advances to the NCA tournament

Stanford goalkeeper Meridith McColl recorded seven saves. The Cardinal travel to Los Alamitos on Friday for the MPSF tourney.
Women's lacrosse

Stanford dropped a 16-8 decision to visiting Loyola College on Saturday.

Claire Calzonetti and Megan Burker each scored twice for the 20th-ranked Cardinal (8-7), who travel to Georgetown for their season finale on Saturday.
Crew

In near perfect racing conditions the Stanford Lightweight varsity eight beat The Cal Lightweights by 19 seconds. In the novice race, the tables were turned, and the Cal Novice Lightweights finished 18 seconds ahead of the Cardinal.

One hour after racing Cal, the Stanford Varsity Lights took on St. Mary's, and finished ahead by four seconds.

The Cardinal Lights race the Cal novice open weights at Redwood Shores on Saturday.

The Cardinal 2V women gave USC a fight to the 1,000 meter mark but the Trojans took command in the second half of the race. The varsity women's four saw race action for the first time this year and were defeated by an open water margin. Rowers from the varsity four doubled into the WO8 combined with four first year rowers to face the Trojans and came up short.

The Stanford women conclude their dual racing season on Saturday morning against Cal at Redwood Shores.

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