In game two of the series against seventh-ranked Stanford, Beaver softball fell victim to the mercy rule losing 13-3 at Kelly Field.
Beaver’s starting pitcher, Logan Hulon, earned herself PAC-12 pitcher of the week after upsetting 11th ranked University of California Los Angeles last week.
Hulon threw a complete game shutout and struck out five batters. While Hulon was looking to carry that momentum into the game, the Cardinal offense got the best of her.
Stanford put up 11 hits and nine earned runs off Hulon through 5.1 innings.
Although the Cardinal bats were on fire, Hulon managed to strike out nine batters, bringing her season total to 71.
After a two-hour and 45-minute rain delay, Stanford started the game off with a bang. Senior Aly Kaneshiro blasted a two-run home run over the batting cages behind left field.
In the top of the third, sophomore Kyra Chen stepped up to the plate with runners on second and third. She sent her first career home run over the left field wall, putting Stanford up 5-0.
A walk and back-to-back singles loaded the bases for the Beavers; however, Cardinal Regan Krause composed herself and escaped the jam, retiring catcher Abby Doer.
With two runners on in the bottom of the fourth, Charity Sevaaetasi muscled a hit-by-pitch loading the bases with only one out. A sac fly scored the freshman, Paige Doer.
The team leader in runs, batting average, and doubles, Grace Messmer, kept the Beavers alive sending a double in the left-center gap cutting the Cardinal’s lead to only two runs. Stanford led 5-3 going into the fourth.
Despite starting the inning with a strikeout looking on a change-up that fell into the zone, Hulon put two runners on, and Stanford’s Kaitlyn Lim sent a line drive to left field bobbled by Eliana Gottlieb, scoring both runners and putting Lim on third.
The Cardinal took a promising lead in the top of the fifth inning, bumping the score to 8-3.
Krause was replaced by freshman Alyssa Houston, who came into the game with a 1.30 earned run average through 32.1 innings pitched. Houston contained the Beavers and the bottom of the fifth ended scoreless.
Still pitching, Hulon gave up a solo home run to pinch hitter Camryn Carmouche, her first home run of the season.
Sarah Haendiges came in to relieve Hulon with two runners on and walked the second batter she faced.
The Indiana transfer and former Big 10 player and freshman of the year, Taryn Kern, hit a game-ending grand slam to seal the Beavers’ fate.
Beaver softball dropped the first two games against Stanford. The series finale will be played on April 14 at Kelly Field at noon.