Stanford softball (18-27, 1-17 Pac-12) was unable to overcome the potent offense of No. 12 UCLA (37-12, 11-7), failing to win any of the three games played over the weekend. The Cardinal threatened an upset in Saturday’s matchup, but they were hamstrung by a season-high six errors that allowed the Bruins to tack on five unearned runs to win the game 6-5.
In the first game of the series, UCLA had claimed a six-run lead by the middle of the second, but Stanford was resilient, managing to put four runs on the board in the bottom of the inning to keep the game within reach. A Bruins fielding error plated the Cardinal’s first run, and a pair of singles from Lauren Wegner and Kylie Sorenson allowed three more runs to score.
Sorenson was the star for Stanford on Friday, going 3-for-3 with a two-run home run and two walks at the plate. She also saw time in the circle, pitching 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.
The UCLA offense could not be contained, however, and it tacked on four runs in the top of the third inning and three runs in the top of the sixth. The Bruins scored 13 runs on 21 hits. Stanford, for its part, scored a total of eight runs — one on a Whitney Burks homer in the third and three in the sixth — to bring the final score to 13-8.
Sophomore Carolyn Lee was effective for the Cardinal in the circle on Saturday, holding UCLA to just a single earned run on six hits in her 11th complete game of the season. Defensive miscues sunk the Cardinal, however, as the team allowed five unearned runs on six errors.
Stanford struck first, as a Burks single plated Sorenson in the bottom of the first inning. UCLA led off the second inning with a walk, and a fielding error sent home the first run. Another walk and a bases-clearing double gave the Bruins a 3-1 lead. Stanford’s second fielding error of the day scored another run in the fourth.
The Cardinal added two runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit to one run, but the top of the sixth saw the Bruins add another two runs, one of which came on a throwing error. In the bottom of the frame, Montana Dixon hit her first career home run to once again cut the deficit to one run, but Stanford was unable to claim a lead, falling 6-5 in a tough-luck loss.
Sunday’s matchup began well for the Cardinal, with the score tied at one apiece after two innings. Lee looked good in the circle, but after a sacrifice bunt and a costly two-run homer in the third, UCLA took a 4-1 lead.
Lee held the Bruins scoreless until the fifth inning, when she was relieved by Kiana Pancino. In the sixth, Pancino gave up a two-RBI single and two-run home run of her own to give UCLA the 8-1 lead it would hold until the end of the game.
The Cardinal threatened in the bottom of the sixth, as Hannah Howell and Lauren Bertoy each singled, but no runs were scored. Each team was hitless in the seventh inning as the Bruins secured the sweep.
Stanford will play host to Saint Mary’s in its final non-conference game of the season. First pitch is at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
Contact Olivia Hummer at ohummer ‘at’ stanford.edu.