In a collision of playing styles, the long ball triumphed over the small ball on Sunday. The No. 12 Cardinal softball squad won the championship game of the Stanford Invitational, 4-1 over Missouri, on the strength of a pair of home runs.

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Masaru Oka

Junior Becky McCullough pitched a pair of complete game wins at this weekend’s Stanford Invitational, both against Santa Clara. The Cardinal won 9-2 on Friday and then 4-3 in Saturday’s tournament semifinal.

The weekend began with less drama, as Stanford swept its three tournament opponents to start the weekend, beating Pacific (8-2), Santa Clara (0-10) and Mizzou (6-6) by an average of six runs in their first three games, notching two shutouts over that span. The Cardinal had more trouble with Santa Clara on Saturday, however, as they eked out a 4-3 win over the Broncos to advance to Sunday’s championship game, a rematch with Missouri.

Both squads made it through the first without allowing a run, but the Tigers got on the scoreboard in the second inning, when rightfielder Julie Silver singled with two outs and centerfielder Leanne Bowers drove her in with a double to right centerfield. Sophomore pitcher Missy Penna struck out the next batter to end the inning, but for a time it looked as if the one run might be enough for Mizzou to earn a victory.

Tiger pitcher Jana Hainey didn’t allow a hit through the first four innings of play, and Stanford was left wondering when their offense would strike back.

“Missouri played a very good game today,” Stanford head coach John Rittman said. “They really kept us off balance and they made the most of their opportunities. It was one of those games where for the first three innings we hit a line drive right at somebody, we hit a hard ground ball right to them and they get the out and you’re like, ‘Was this meant to be?’”

The Cardinal would finally tie the score in the fifth, though, as freshman catcher Rosey Neill belted a towering home run to leftfield to tie the game at 1-1 on Stanford’s first hit of the day.

“We needed the big hit, and it’s nice to have a lineup where one through nine can hit it out of the park essentially,” Rittman said. “Our kids kept battling and the long ball definitely helped us out today.”

The long ball would help Stanford again in the sixth inning. Freshman centerfielder Alissa Haber and senior leftfielder Jackie Rinehart both singled to get on base with one out in the inning and sophomore shortstop slugger Maddy Coon did the rest, sending a three-run blast to centerfield.

Coon has gotten off to a tremendous start for the Cardinal, leading the team in RBI (13), slugging percentage (.806) and on-base percentage (.550); she is also tied for the team lead in home runs (two) and runs scored (11). Rittman said that, while Coon’s progress was stalled early by an illness, she has rebounded nicely to lead the team offensively.

“Maddy came back this year in tremendous shape,” Rittman said. “She’s battled through some things and she’s playing herself into shape right now and we’re really happy with her progress and what she’s doing this year.”

Penna, too, was integral to the Cardinal’s win, as she allowed Missouri no chance to get back in the game after Neill’s game-tying home run in the bottom of the fifth. The Tigers went hitless over their final two frames. Penna struck out six on the day, settling in after early control problems put two Missouri runners on base in the first inning on a walk and hit batsman.

“I thought Missy did well,” Rittman said. “She didn’t have command of everything today, but she was a pitcher today. She kept battling and made pitches when she needed to make them, and that’s her maturing. She’s really becoming a complete pitcher.”

Stanford will not play again at home before the Stanford Classic, which begins March 9. Next up for the Cardinal is the Florida International University Adidas Invitational in Miami, Fla. The tournament begins Thursday and runs through Sunday.