The Stanford softball team stretched its winning streak to nine over the weekend, going 4-0 in the DeMarini Invitational in Fullerton, Calif.

In its only close game of the weekend, the No. 14/16 Cardinal (17-3) downed Iowa 2-1 on Friday. The game was scoreless into the top of the fifth, when Hawkeyes second baseman Katie Keim stole third base and scored on a throwing error by Cardinal junior catcher Maya Burns.

Stanford immediately answered in the bottom of the frame on a two-run homer by freshman right fielder Michelle Prong. Sophomore Teagan Gerhart picked up her first of three wins on the weekend in the circle. She is now 9-3 on the season.

On Saturday the Cardinal won a pair of games over UC-Santa Barbara and Murray State. Prong went 4-4 in the first game and junior shortstop Ashley Hansen contributed three hits.

The Cardinal dominated Murray State, 14-2, in five innings in the second game. Senior Ashley Chinn (8-0) got the win for Stanford as five Cardinal players had two hits in the game, including freshman left fielder Caitlyn Pura and freshman designated player Danielle Miller, who each also had three RBI. Pura, Hansen and sophomore first baseman Alix Van Zandt all homered in the win.

The Cardinal closed out its weekend with an 8-2 victory over Cal State-Northridge on Sunday. In earning the win, Gerhart struck out a career-high 14 batters and helped her own cause by getting two hits at the plate and scoring two runs.

Stanford now gets a 12-day rest for finals before taking the field at the Stanford Louisville Slugger Classic on March 18. That tournament is scheduled to pit Stanford against Northwestern, UNLV, Cal Poly and Iowa State.