The Stanford softball team will try to continue its winning ways against the Oregon State Beavers this weekend on the Farm after securing a series win against UCLA down in Los Angeles last weekend.
After falling 6-5 in 14 innings in Friday’s game, the No. 22 Cardinal rallied to win the final two games of the weekend by scores of 6-2 and 5-1 to take two of three from the Bruins, the defending national champions.
The Cardinal was swept in its first Pac-10 series of the year against Arizona, so a strong weekend against the beavers could get Stanford back to .500 in conference.
In an odd twist of the schedule, the Beavers have also faced off against Arizona and UCLA so far this Pac-10 season. The Bruins trounced Oregon State down in Los Angeles, easily sweeping away the Beavers, and Arizona took two of three from Oregon State.
The Cardinal can once again expect to lean on sophomore pitcher Teagan Gerhart and junior shortstop Ashley Hansen, who were named Pac-10 pitcher and player of the week after last week’s performance against the Bruins.
Hansen paced the Cardinal offense with a .615 batting average that included two doubles, three RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases. She posted a .769 slugging percentage and a .600 on-base percentage on the weekend as well.
Gerhart threw 21.1 innings against the Bruins, posting a 1.97 ERA while striking out 20 UCLA hitters and giving up just six runs.
The Cardinal and Beavers set off in the first game of a three-game series on Friday at 7 p.m. at Smith Family Stadium.