January 29, 1999
STANFORD, Calif. - Senior Josh Hochgesang's (Fullerton, CA/Sunny Hills HS) solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning gave Stanford a 1-0 win over Fresno State in the season opener for both teams on Friday evening at Sunken Diamond.
Sophomore right-hander Jason Young (Berkeley, CA/Berkeley HS) and freshman left-hander Mike Gosling (Salt Lake City, UT/East HS) made sure that run stood up by combining on a three-hit shutout. It was the Cardinal's first shutout since a 1-0 win at USC on April 3, 1998, and second straight over the Bulldogs. In the last meeting between the schools, Chad Hutchinson threw a rain-shortened five-inning no-hitter in a 4-0 Cardinal road win on February 1, 1998.
Young and Bulldog starter Casey Rowe (Fresno, CA/Bullard HS) matched zeroes for the first 6.0 innings, before Hochgesang struck in the seventh with a one-out blast over the right-field fence. The home run was the 30th of Hochgesang's Stanford career. The blast made a Rowe a hard-luck loser after allowing just six hits and the one run over 6.2 innings, while walking one and striking out four.
Young also didn't factor into the decision, despite allowing just one hit over 6.0 scoreless innings. He also walked three and struck out seven in the longest outing, and first start, of his collegiate career. Gosling worked the final 3.0 innings to earn his first collegiate victory. He allowed two hits and struck out five, but had to work for the victory the ninth. After a fielders choice and a successful pickoff throw to first base by Cardinal catcher Damien Alvarado (Sacramento, CA/Jesuit HS) left two outs and no one on, the Bulldogs proceeded to load the bases on a single, walk and an HBP. Gosling then struck out sophomore Nick Garcia (Lakewood, CA/Banning HS) on four pitches to end the game.
Offensively for Stanford, junior Nick Day (Las Vegas, NV/Green Valley HS) went 3-for-3 and Hochgesang went 2-for-2 with a homer and a double. Fresno State received a single apiece from freshman Denis Brewer (Fresno, CA/Edison HS), and juniors Dan Duke (San Jose, CA/DeAnza JC) and Simon Tafoya (Pittsburg, CA/Pittsburg HS).
Game two of the three-game set is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. at Sunken Diamond. Sophomore Justin Wayne (Honolulu, HI/Punahou HS) is scheduled to start for the Cardinal, while junior Tom Graham (Modesto, CA/Beyer HS) will get the nod for the Bulldogs. Linescore Fresno State 000 000 000 - 0 3 0 Stanford 000 000 10x - 1 6 0
Rowe, Gonzalez (7), Smith (8) and Simioli; Young, Gosling (7) and Alvarado. WP - Gosling (1-0). LP - Rowe (0-1). 2B - Muth (S), Hochgesang (S). HR - Hochgesang (STAN) 7th inning, none on. Records - Fresno State 0-1, Stanford 1-0.