May 6, 1999
STANFORD, Calif. - Sophomore Joe Borchard (Camarillo, CA/Camarillo HS) drove in both Stanford runs to lead the Cardinal (35-12) to a 2-1 non-conference home win over Pacific (29-21) on Wednesday night at Sunken Diamond. The win was the sixth-ranked Cardinal's seventh in a row. The contest lasted just 1 hour, 56 minutes and featured a combined total of six hits. What a difference a day makes. Just 24 hours earlier, Stanford needed 4 hours, 11 minutes to outslug No. 25 Nevada 16-14 in 10 innings.
Stanford freshman right-hander Mike Wodnicki (Southington, CT/Southington HS) turned in the best performance of his collegiate career to improve to 3-0. Wodnicki allowed just one hit, while striking out four, over 6.0 scoreless innings. He also retired the final 12 hitters he faced to begin a stretch from the third to eighth innings where Cardinal pitchers set down 17 consecutive batters. Senior closer Tony Cogan (Highland Park, IL/Highland Park HS) later slammed the door by retiring all four batters he faced to earn his seventh save.
The Cardinal went on top for good with a run in the bottom of the first. Junior Craig Thompson (Dallas, TX/Lake Highlands HS) doubled to lead off the inning, went to third on a fly out and scored on Borchard's two-out single to right field. Stanford then made it 2-0 in the sixth when Jeff Rizzo (San Diego, CA/La Jolla HS) led of the inning with a double and eventually scored on Borchard's sacrifice fly. The RBI were Borchard's 45th and 46th of the season to go along with eight homers and team-high .403 average.
Pacific cut the deficit to 2-1 on freshman Richard Hackett's (Tracy, CA/St. Mary's HS) solo homer to left with two outs in the top of the eighth, but could get no closer. Tiger hurlers Travis Fleming (McKinleyville, CA/Redwoods JC), Steve Fischer (Benicia, CA/Napa Valley JC) and Joe LeBel (Pine Grove, CA/Amador HS) combined on a three-hitter of their own, but came up just short. Fleming was charged with the loss to drop to 4-3.
Stanford returns to action on Friday when it hosts Saint Mary's at 7 p.m. at Sunken Diamond. Pacific travels to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for a three-game Big West Conference series on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Linescore
Pacific 000 000 010 --- 1 3 0 Stanford 100 001 00x --- 2 3 0Fleming, Fischer (3), LeBel (7) and Terveen; Wodnicki, Willcox (7), Cogan (8) and Alvarado. WP - Wodnicki (3-0). LP - Fleming (4-3). SV - Cogan (7). 2B - Thompson (STAN), Rizzo (STAN). HR - Hackett (UOP) 8th inning, none on. Records - Pacific 29-21, Stanford 35-12.