Win streak hits 13 games for Stanford softball

The last time Stanford softball suffered a defeat was April 4. A hot streak that initially looked like a late-season surge has now worked its way to the very end of the season, where the Cardinal will no doubt be the hottest team in the country heading into postseason play. 

Stanford (35-12, 18-6 ACC) stretched its season-best winning streak to 13 games Wednesday with a 4-2 win over Pacific (16-33, 4-11 WCC), relying on a pinch-hit swing from freshman catcher and infielder Izzy Cacatian and another shutdown effort from its bullpen to survive a tight game. 

The Pacific Tigers scored first, taking a 2-0 lead on a two-out triple in the third frame. Stanford, however, answered in the fourth inning when Cacatian came off the bench and drove a three-run home run to left field, flipping the game on its head with one swing. The long ball was Cacatian’s third of the season as she brought her RBI total to 12. 

Junior pitcher Alyssa Houston protected the lead with scoreless frames in the fifth and sixth before the Tigers put the tying run at the plate with two outs in the seventh inning. With only one more out needed to secure the win, sophomore pitcher Zoe Prystajko entered in relief and struck out the final batter of the game. Prystajko earned her fourth save of the season and Houston picked up the win after 4.1 scoreless innings, improving her record to 5-2 on the season.

With a Stanford offense that can be overpowering, it has been the pitching that has propelled the win streak. The Cardinal have held opponents to two runs or fewer in 10 of the 13 wins during the streak and have allowed fewer than three runs in seven straight contests. 

The pitching staff’s run prevention has been paired with an offense that spent last weekend overwhelming Cal (13-36, 3-18 ACC). Stanford swept the Golden Bears in its final ACC series of the regular season, outscoring its rivals 31-1 across three games and ending conference play with nine straight wins. The Cardinal set a program record for conference wins in a season, thanks in large part to the three straight sweeps of ACC opponents in April. Stanford has now won 19 of their last 22 games against Cal.  

The top of Stanford’s batting order has remained central to the streak. Senior outfielder Emily Jones extended her hitting streak to 12 games in the Pacific win, while seniors Taryn Kern and Krya Chan continue to set up run-producing opportunities for the rest of the lineup. 

Stanford will close the regular season, and look to sustain the win streak, this Friday against Sacramento State at Stanford Softball Stadium. After that, the Cardinal will prepare for the ACC Championship, which will be held May 6-9 in Charlottesville, Va. First pitch for Friday’s game is set for 6 p.m.

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