Zoe Prystajko led the Stanford Cardinal softball team to a 7-2 victory over California, striking out 10 batters in five innings. This performance set a new career high for Prystajko and helped Stanford improve its record to 5-0 this season.
Stanford started strong in the first inning with four consecutive hits. River Mahler drove in Taryn Kern with an RBI single. Mahler and Jade Berry later scored on a two-run double by Ava Gall. Kyra Chan added another run with a single that brought home Jordana King, who was pinch running for Gall.
Prystajko maintained control through the second and third innings, recording four more strikeouts without allowing any runs or hits during that stretch. In the third inning, Stanford added two unearned runs: Emily Jones hit an RBI groundout, and Kern followed with a single to increase the lead to 6-0.
In the fourth inning, Prystajko struck out two more batters to tie her previous career high of nine strikeouts. She surpassed that mark in the fifth inning by striking out her tenth batter. During the bottom of the fifth, Mahler singled in Kern after Kern doubled, making it 7-0 for Stanford.
Prystajko finished her outing after five scoreless innings, giving up only one hit and earning the win. California managed to score twice in the seventh inning, but Alyssa Houston secured the final outs for Stanford.
Stanford will remain at home next weekend to open the Cardinal Classic I against Kentucky on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available at Tickets.GoStanford.com, and fans can watch the game live on ACC Network Extra.
“
