Down Go the DucksDown Go the Ducks
Karen Ambrose Hickey/Stanford Athletics
Softball

Down Go the Ducks

  • Game 1
  • Game 2
Box Score

EUGENE, Ore. – Stanford's return to nation prominence hit another milestone on Friday.

For the first time since 2011, the Cardinal picked up a victory in Eugene with a 3-1 victory over sixth-ranked Oregon to conclude a doubleheader, Friday at Jane Sanders Stadium. The Cardinal (24-12, 4-6 Pac-12) nearly swept the doubleheader, but dropped the opening game, 2-1, on a controversial call in the bottom of the seventh.

As of now, the second game of the doubleheader does not count towards the Pac-12 standings.

Game One Recap
Stanford nearly pulled out the victory in the first game of the day. Eleni Spirakis gave the Cardinal a 1-0 lead with a two-out, solo home run to left field in the top of the first, while Regan Krause held the Ducks (29-9, 7-6 Pac-12) offense in check. The freshman struck out three batters, to two hits and a walk, in 4.0 shutout innings of action.

Oregon managed to tie the game on a RBI double from Haley Cruse in the bottom of the fifth, as the ball dropped within feet of the right field foul line to put two runners in scoring position. Stanford's defense rose to the moment, making a play at the plate and a groundout to third base to strand runners on the corners.

Tied 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh, the Ducks were down to their final out with a runner on second. Cruse was intentionally walked to put Hanna Delgado at the plate, and on a 1-2 count, Delgado hit a ball down the first base line. There was initial confusion with the ball being signaled as hit being hit both foul and fair, meanwhile the runner from second crossed the plate and was called safe.  

After a lengthy protest and review, the umpires signaled the ball was hit fair, and the Ducks had won the game on a walk-off.

Game Two Recap
Locked in a scoreless stalemate, Stanford took command with three runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Making her second start in 2021, Kate Cressey hit the ball into left center and stretched the play into a double. Cressey's push to reach scoring position was rewarded when Sydnee Huff brought her home on a two-out double down the left field line for the game's first run.

The Ducks managed to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to an error that set up runners on second and third. The Cardinal escaped the jam with three-straight groundouts to maintain the 1-1 tie.

Taylor Gindlesperger hit her sixth triple of the year – tying the NCAA lead – as the second batter in the top of the sixth. She scored the go-ahead run for Stanford on a RBI single to center field from Spirakis for the 2-1 lead. Stanford struck again for a two-out run thanks to a RBI single up the middle from Cressey – after the Ducks intentionally walked Emily Young – to bring Spirakis home from second.

Cressey finished the game 2-for-3 with a double, a run and a RBI.

Holding a narrow two-run advantage, Vawter and the defense closed the door on an Oregon rally to pick up the top 10 victory. Teaghan Cowles tracked down a deep fly ball that would have gone for extra bases, and Huff made the final play to first to strand the tying run at first and end the game. Vawter improved to 15-5 on the season.

This weekend's series will continue with a single game on Saturday. First pitch from Jane Sanders Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. PT.