STANFORD, Calif. - No. 9 Stanford produced a pair of four-run innings while its pitching was stellar once again, routing Florida 11-2 on Sunday afternoon in the NCAA regional final.
Stanford (43-13) needed only three games to sweep through regional competition and advance to NCAA Super Regionals, reaching the nation's final 16 for the second consecutive season. The Cardinal will travel to Duke next weekend, making its seventh NCAA Super Regional appearance overall and its first in back-to-back seasons since 2008-09.
Hosting its first NCAA Regional at Smith Family Stadium in 12 years and cheered wildly by enthusiastic crowds all weekend, Stanford improved to 50-43 all-time in NCAA competition thanks to shutouts against Long Beach State (1-0) and Florida (8-0 in 6 innings) before Sunday's final.
Emily Young and Sydney Steele homered, four different players recorded multi-hit games and Alana Vawter picked up her second NCAA victory in the circle as Stanford accounted for its best offensive performance since an 11-0 win over Wichita State back on March 9.
The Cardinal delivered clutch at-bats throughout the game, scoring nine of its 11 runs with two outs.
Trailing for the first time in regional play at 2-1 heading into the third inning, Kylie Chung and Kaitlyn Lim helped Stanford quickly regain the lead at 3-2 with RBI singles.
Stanford pushed across four more runs in the fifth inning, taking a 7-2 lead. The rally started with Ellee Eck scoring on a wild pitch and Lim coming home when Taylor Gindlesperger worked a bases loaded walk.
Aly Kaneshiro followed with a two-run single, scoring Eck and River Mahler.
Two innings later, Stanford gained even more separation to make it 11-2. Steele belted her second home run of the season, Kaneshiro contributed a sacrifice fly and Young closed out the scoring with a two-run homer.
Vawter, who blanked Long Beach State on Friday, scattered seven hits and walked two while striking out four in 5.2 innings.
NiJaree Canady covered the final 1.1 innings in relief, striking out three of four batters. The Cardinal has qualified for the postseason in four straight seasons, including a memorable 2022 campaign in which Stanford won the Tuscaloosa Regional and reached its first Super Regional since 2011.
Stanford has made seven NCAA Super Regional appearances (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2022, 2023) and reached the NCAA Women's College World Series twice (2001, 2004).