May 18, 2007

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Stanford, Calif. - Missy Penna put on another impressive show tonight and led the Stanford softball team to a 1-0 win over Fresno State in the fifth game of the Stanford Regional. In addition to scoring the game-winning run, the Cardinal ace picked up her second shutout of the day and her 12th on the year, striking out 11 in the 1-0 blanking of the Bulldogs. Stanford improves to 35-20-1 with the win, while Fresno State finishes its season with a 47-18 overall record.

Stanford put what proved to be the game-winning run across in the third inning, after three Cardinal singles put Bulldog ace Robin Mackin in a jam. Penna singled to start things off and was bunted to second by Jackie Rinehart. Tricia Aggabao then drove a ball off Mackin, which ricocheted into the outfield and scored Penna. A single by Alissa Haber and a walk by Maddy Coon loaded the bases for the Cardinal, but the Bulldog defense pulled together and kept the remaining three runners from scoring.

Stanford left the bases loaded again in the fourth inning, after two more singles and a walk loaded them up. Relief pitcher Merryann Barr and the Bulldog defense pulled together again, however, and left the Stanford runners stranded.

The Cardinal defense found itself in a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth. Three singles loaded the bases for the Bulldogs with one out. Penna, facing two of the Bulldogs' top three hitters, held tight and struck out the side, however. The Cardinal left 12 runners on base to Fresno State's six and out-hit the Bulldogs, 9-3.

Penna allowed just three hits and finished the day with a two-game total of 19 strikeouts. The Cardinal ace improves to 24-12 with the win. On offense, Aggabao and Haber had two hits apiece, with Aggabao earning the game-winning RBI.