May 2, 1999
STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford (33-12 overall, 17-4 in the Pac-10) scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to rally for an 9-8 victory over Oregon State (15-32, 3-14) on Sunday afternoon at Sunken Diamond, and take a two-game Pacific-10 Conference lead over USC with three games remaining.
USC's 8-5 loss to UCLA on Sunday dropped the Trojans to 15-6 and two games behind the Cardinal in the conference standings. Both teams have Pac-10 byes next week and conclude their conference schedules on May 14-16 in Los Angeles. Stanford visits UCLA at Jackie Robinson Stadium, while USC plays host to Washington. The Cardinal 's magic number to claim its third straight regular-season conference title is two.
Oregon State held a two-run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, but Stanford rallied for three runs to complete the series sweep. Jeff Rizzo (San Diego, CA/La Jolla HS) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and scored when John Gall (Portola Valley, CA/St. Francis HS) followed with an RBI triple down the right-field line. After Joe Borchard (Camarillo, CA/Camarillo HS) was also hit by a pitch, Cardinal third baseman Josh Hochgesang (Fullerton, CA/Sunny HS) singled to left to score Gall and tie the game. The runners were then sacrifice to second and third by Stanford catcher Damien Alvarado (Sacramento, CA/Jesuit HS). With Oregon State's infield in, Nick Day (Las Vegas, NV/Green Valley HS) hit a ground ball to second base that was knocked down by a diving Corrie Willkie (Mission Viejo, CA/Saddleback JC). Borchard then beat Willkie's throw to the plate to give Day an RBI fielder's choice and the Cardinal the victory.
The Cardinal's ninth-inning heroics capped comebacks from 6-2 and 8-6 deficits. Oregon State took a 2-0 lead in the second on a two-run double by Rod Gott (Ravensdale, WA/Green River CC) and later extended the lead to 6-2 with one in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth. Gott added another run scoring double in the fourth, while Drew Hedges (Portland, OR/Beaverton HS) chipped in a two-RBI two-bagger in the fith. Gott and Hedges each finished the game with two doubles, and combined to drive in five of the Beavers' eight runs.
Stanford then came back to tie the game with four in the bottom of the seventh, highlighted by Gall's two-run homer to left. Gall finished the afternoon 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI. Oregon State then went back on top 8-6 on a tape-measure two-run homer to left by Curtis Davis (Corvallis, OR/Corvallis HS) in the top of the eighth, but the Cardinal mounted the final rally in the ninth against three different Beaver pitchers.
Stanford closer Tony Cogan (Highland Park, IL/Highland Park HS) worked the final 3.1 innings to earn the win and improve to 4-3. Gall and Hochgesang led the Cardinal with three hits apiece, while Hochgesang also added a solo home run. The round-tripper was the 41st of Hochgesang's Stanford career and ties him for third on the school's all-time list with David McCarty (1989-91) and Ed Sprague (1986-88).
Oregon State collected 13 hits on the afternoon, but left 14 runners on base. Willkie and Gott led the way with three hits apiece. Reliever Mike Boire (Tigard, OR/Tigard HS), the sixth of seven Oregon State pitchers on the day, took the loss and dropped to 2-4.
Linescore
Oregon State 020 121 020 -- 8 13 0 Stanford 010 100 403 -- 9 14 1Rainwater, Mitchell (4), Newell (6), Gits (7), Ranstad (8), Boire (9), Hansen (9) and Sakamoto.
Sager, Willcox (5), Cogan (6) and Alvarado.
WP - Cogan (4-3).
LP - Boire (2-4).
2B - Hedges (OSU) 2, Gott (OSU) 2, Rizzo (STAN), Day (STAN).
3B - Gall (STAN).
HR - Hochgesang (STAN) 4th inning, none on; Gall (STAN) 7th inning, one on; Davis (OSU) 8th inning, one on.
Records - Oregon State 15-33 overall (3-15 in the Pac-10), Stanford 33-12 (17-4).