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Palo Alto Online

Stanford softball topples No. 1 Arizona

by Rick Eymer

Dana Sorensen did it again, though she did get a lot of help from her teammates.

The Stanford softball team doesn't beat Arizona very often, but behind Sorensen's 12-strikeout effort and an offense that included Catalina Morris' two home runs, the 16th-ranked Cardinal upset the top-ranked Wildcats on Friday, 4-3, in Tucson.

Stanford dropped a 2-1 decision to Arizona State on Saturday, but came back - behind Sorensen and Morris - to win Sunday, 4-1.

It's just the third all-time win against the Wildcats for the Cardinal, who also handed Arizona its first Pac-10 defeat.

Morris first homer of the game, her fourth of the season, gave Stanford (4-5, 32-15) an early lead. Elizabeth Bendig's two-out double drove in another run.

Morris' second homer of the game extended Stanford's lead to 3-0.

Maureen LeCocq hit a home run to put Stanford up 4-2 in the sixth.

Sorensen (15-5) recorded her 12th double-digit strikeout performances. She went the distance, scattering eight hits. Morris and Lauren Lappin both went 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Arizona led the nation in home runs last year.

The Cardinal last beat Arizona on April 9, 2000 in Tucson. Sorensen (then a freshman) won the contest.

Home runs from Morris and Leah Nelson and a two-hitter from Sorensen led Stanford past Arizona State on Sunday.

Morris' homer followed a Meghan Sickler single and gave the Cardinal a 2-0 lead.

Nelson hit her second homer of the season, a solo shot, in the seventh.

Sorensen pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and striking out nine. LeCocq's homer on Saturday was Stanford's only offensive production in the loss to the Sun Devils.

Stanford will be home to face San Jose State in a doubleheader on Wednesday, with the first game starting at 5 p.m. in the Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium. The Cardinal then will travel to Berkeley for games against Cal on Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday, a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.