April 14, 2009

Box Score

Stanford, Calif. - Sophomore pitcher Ashley Chinn threw a two-hitter and the Cardinal offense backed her with eight hits and seven runs tonight, as Stanford beat Santa Clara, 7-0, and improved to 36-4 on the year.

Chinn (11-1) gave up just two singles and a walk in seven innings of work and senior second baseman Maddy Coon initiated a pair of double plays to take care of two of those three Bronco base runners. Chinn struck out eight, including the first four batters to come to the plate, and nabbed the seventh shutout of her career.

The leadoff duo of Alissa Haber and Ashley Hansen once again paced Stanford offensively. Haber was 3-for-4 with a double and a home run, while Hansen was 2-for-2 with a triple and a home run. Haber's fourth-inning long ball marked her 200th career hit. Just a junior, she is the ninth player in program history to reach the milestone. Her double was the 48th of her career, making her one of Stanford's top three double-hitters of all time. It was also her 17th of the season, which already ties for sixth place on the school's single-season list.

With Hansen's first-inning triple, the team set a new school single-season record in the category with its 15th triple of the year. The rookie shortstop, who leads the Pac-10 with five triples this year, is just one short of Stanford's individual single-season record as well.

Stanford drew 10 walks in the game. Coon nabbed her 28th of the year for the first one, moving herself onto the school's single-season top-10 list for the third time in her career. Junior Rosey Neill walked three times and became the eighth player in school history to draw 80 or more career walks.

Starter Jenna Fong (3-13) went just 0.1 inning for the Broncos, but took the loss after allowing the first four Stanford runs. Kaitlyn Rauschnot finished the job, allowing the final three runs and striking out three in 5.2 innings of work.

Stanford roared to life right away, batting through its order and scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Haber led off with a hit to right field and Hansen followed with her triple to put Stanford on the board. Hansen scored on a passed ball on Shannon Koplitz' at-bat, then Koplitz and Coon drew back-to-back walks to keep the rally going. Melisa Koutz singled up the middle to bring Koplitz around and ended Fong's evening in the circle. Maya Burns was the first to face Rauschnot and hit her first of two singles to load the bases. Jenna Becerra followed with a sacrifice fly that made it 4-0.

Stanford scored on another Becerra sacrifice fly in the third inning. Neill walked and was replaced by Autumn Albers at first base. Albers stole second, advanced to third on Burns' second hit and scored on Becerra's second sacrifice fly.

In the fourth, Haber and Hansen homered to nearly the same spot in left center on two consecutive pitches. Haber connected on Rauschnot's 1-2 pitch for her seventh bomb of the year and Hansen lifted the first pitch she saw over the wall for her third.

Stanford is back to work on its Pac-10 season on Friday, taking on No. 9/11 Arizona in a nationally-televised game that begins at 7 p.m. (PT).