February 17, 1999
STANFORD, Calif. -- Sophomore Joe Borchard (Camarillo, CA/Camarillo HS) went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI to lead No. 5 Stanford (8-3) to an 8-1 home win over Sacramento State (2-7) on Wednesday evening at Sunken Diamond. Stanford has won seven in a row, and outscored its opponents 52-22 in the process.
Borchard put Stanford ahead for good with a three-run home run in the bottom of the first. Junior Edmund Muth (Long Beach, CA/St. John Bosco HS) started the rally with a one-out double, and one out later, senior Josh Hochgesang (Fullerton, CA/Sumny Hills HS) was hit by a pitch. Borchard then launched a 1-1 offering from Hornet starter Dustin Tubb (0-2; Newbury Park, CA/Ventura JC) over the left field fence for a 3-0 Stanford lead. The home run was Borchard's third in as many games.
Stanford then broke the game wide open with a five-run sixth inning, highlighted by a two-run triple by junior Jeff Rizzo (San Diego, CA/La Jolla HS).
Stanford's pitching staff took it from there, and was just two outs away from its third shutout of the season when Hornet pinch-hitter Casey Martinez (Holmdel, NJ/Virginia Tech) led off the ninth with a double and later scored on a groundout.
Cardinal freshman Mike Wodnicki (Southington, CT/Southington HS) took advantage of his first career start, allowing just two hits over 5.0 scoreless innings to pick up the victory. Wodnicki and relievers Dan Rich (Bay Village, OH/Bay HS) and Tony Cogan (Highland Park, IL/Highland Park HS) combined on a three-hitter, marking the fourth time this season Stanford has held an opponent to five hits or less. Stanford pitchers have allowed just 10 runs in the last five games.
Stanford returns to action on Friday in the first of a three-game non-conference home series against California (5-6). The Cardinal and Golden Bears will meet on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Sacramento State hosts a three-game series against Saint Mary's (1-7) this weekend at Hornet Field. The Hornets and Gaels will meet on Saturday in an 11:30 a.m. doubleheader and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Linescore Sacramento State 000 000 001 --- 1 3 2 Stanford 300 005 00x --- 8 13 1 Tubb, West (6) and Proud, Martinez (7); Wodnicki, Rich (6), Cogan (8) and Alvarado, Salter (8). WP - Wodnicki 1-0. LP - Tubb 0-2. 2B - Martinez (SAC), Muth (STAN). 3B - Rizzo (STAN). HR - Borchard (STAN) 1st inning, two on. Records - Sacramento State 2-7, Stanford 8-3.