The Stanford softball team was riding high going into spring break, having won 19 games in a row, but the week off from school was not good to the Cardinal, as it went a miserable 2-5 during the break.

In its first series of Pac-12 play, the No. 14 Cardinal couldn’t take a single game from archrival Cal, which swept all three games at Smith Family Stadium. Friday’s contest was a 9-0 blowout that saw the Bears give junior pitcher Teagan Gerhart just her second loss of the season, dropping the pitcher’s record to 20-2.

After a rainout of Saturday’s contest, the Bears took both halves of Sunday’s doubleheader, snagging a 4-3 victory.  The Cardinal couldn’t complete a comeback after getting down 3-0 in the first inning, and then Cal completed the sweep with an 8-0 win, again at the expense of Gerhart, who saw her struggles in the circle continue for the second straight game.

Stanford rebounded to pick up a 9-2 midweek win against Santa Clara, then traveled to Arizona to take on the Wildcats in a three-game set.

The Cardinal continued its winning ways in the Friday game against Arizona, as Gerhart tossed a two-hitter and struck out nine in a 4-1 win, as senior Maya Burns paced the Card by going 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI.

The win streak wouldn’t last for long, though; the Wildcats responded by hitting around freshman pitcher Nyree White for eight earned runs in a 9-1 Arizona win. The Wildcats then picked up the rubber game with a 3-1 win on Sunday to end the Cardinal’s road trip on a sour note.

Stanford now returns home to continue Pac-12 play at home against Oregon this weekend, as it continues its tough schedule with nine conference games over the next 11 days. The Ducks and Cardinal square off at Smith Family Stadium on Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. and finish the series Saturday at noon.

– Jack Blanchat