March 7, 1999
STANFORD, CA --- Juniors Nick Day (Las Vegas, NV/Green Valley HS) and Jeff Rizzo (San Diego, CA/La Jolla HS) each homered and drove in three runs to lead No. 6 Stanford (15-6, 3-0) to an 11-8 victory over No. 8 Arizona State (19-8, 0-3) on Sunday afternoon at Sunken Diamond.
The win helped the Cardinal complete a three-game weekend sweep over the Sun Devils. Stanford has now won six straight over Arizona State at Sunken Diamond, and eight of the last nine overall.
The Cardinal led 4-3 after five innings, and appeared to break the game open with a five-run sixth inning behind two-run homers by both Rizzo and Day. The Sun Devils, however, answered right back with five runs in the top of the eighth keyed by a two-run single by senior Andrew Beinbrink (San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS).
Stanford then put the game away in the bottom of the eighth on back-to-back RBI singles by junior Damien Alvarado (Sacramento, CA/Jesuit HS ) and Day. Freshman right-hander Dan Rich (Bay Village, OH/Bay HS) preserved the victory with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief to earn his collegiate save.
The Cardinal banged out a total of 14 hits on the afternoon, and finished with 39 in the three-game series. Junior Eric Bruntlett (North Lafayette, IN/Harrison HS), Alvarado and Rizzo had three hits apiece, while Day chipped in two. Freshman Brian Sager (Branford, CT/Branford HS) worked the first 6.0 innings on the hill for the Cardinal, and allowed just two earned runs, to pick up the victory and improve to 2-0.
Junior Jay Sitzman (Scottsdale, AZ/Horizon HS) led the Sun Devils with three hits, while junior Mark Ernster (Glendale, AZ/Ironwood HS) and Beinbrink added two hits apiece. Beinbrink also hit his sixth homer of the year, while junior Mitch Jones (Orem, UT/Utah Valley CC) blasted his fourth.
Stanford will now take a 12-day break for final exams, and will next be in action on Saturday, March 20 at Texas at 1 p.m. (CT). Arizona State next hosts an exhibition game against Aomori University of Japan on Thursday at 7 p.m. (MT).
Linescore Arizona State011001050---8134 Stanford00101252x---11144 Switzer, Pennington (7), Doble (7), Williamson (8), Waldrip (8) and Myers, Pratt (8); Sager, Gosling (7), Cogan (8), Rich (8) and Alvarado. WP - Sager (2-0). LP - Switzer (4-2). SV - Rich (1). 2B - Ernster (ASU) 2, Phelps (ASU), Rizzo (STAN), Alvarado (STAN), Day (STAN), Bruntlett (STAN). HR - Beinbrink (ASU) 2nd inning, none on; Jones (ASU) 6th inning, none on; Day (STAN) 7th inning, one on; Rizzo (STAN) 7th inning, one on. Records - Arizona State 19-8 overall (0-3 in the Pac-10), Stanford 15-6 (3-0).