Wildcats' comeback isn't enough as UA softball loses at Stanford for 6th straight Pac-12 defeat

Another late-game Wildcat comeback was not to be had, as No. 21 Arizona's Pac-12 woes continued Friday night at Stanford in a 3-2 loss at No. 7 Stanford. 

The loss is the sixth conference defeat in a row for the Wildcats (24-14, 3-8 Pac-12) and eighth in their last nine Pac-12 games after starting the conference slate 2-0.

Stanford broke open a scoreless game Saturday in the fifth with a three-run bottom half of the inning thanks to a Kylie Chung pinch-hit home run, an RBI double by T. Gindlesperger and an RBI single by River Mahler, putting the Cardinal up 3-0.

Arizons scored two on an Olivia DiNardo two-run home run in the top half of the next inning, but couldn't muster any more offense after that.

Stanford's Regan Krause improved to 9-3 in the circle with the win in a five-inning, two-run, five-hit effort. Krause and Alana Vawter, who pitched two scoreless innings in relief, combined to strike out 12 Wildcats on the night.

Arizona pitcher Aissa Silva kept the Cardinal (30-6, 7-4) scoreless through four, but managed to face just two batters in the fifth before being pulled for Ali Blanchard.

Silva gave up two runs on four hits while striking out three in four-plus innings of work. Blanchard gave up one run on three hits in one inning, and Devyn Netz, Friday night's starter, allowed just one hit in one scoreless inning of work.

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Arizona managed just seven baserunners, with DiNardo going 2 for 2 with her homer, pair of RBIs and a walk, and Dakota Kennedy, Blaise Biringer and Ali Ashner each finishing 1 for 3.

The top of Arizona's lineup — leadoff hitter Jasmine Perezchica, followed by Allie Skaggs — struck out three times each.

On Thursday, the Wildcats fell 5-1 to the Cardinal. The final game of the three-game set at Stanford's Smith Family Stadium is Saturday at noon, with Arizona next returning home to Hillenbrand Stadium April 14-16 against UCLA.