Feb. 7, 2000
STANFORD, Calif. - Nevada shocked top-ranked Stanford by a final score of 4-3 as the Wolf Pack held back a late-inning rally by the Cardinal in a non-conference game on Monday at Sunken Diamond. The loss snapped Stanfords 19-game home win streak as the Cardinal fell for the first time on The Farm since April 18, 1999. Nevada improves to 4-3 with its second straight victory, while Stanford falls to 5-1.
Nevada scored three times in the sixth inning as a two-RBI triple by Matt Ortiz keyed the inning. Stanford trailed 4-1 before scoring single runs in the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings to cut the margin to 4-3. The Cardinal had an opportunity to win the contest in its final at bat but Eric Bruntlett was stranded on first base when Edmund Muth flied out to deep right field for the final out of the game.
"Nevada played well," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess after the contest. "We didnt play poorly but they just played better than we did. They had good pitching and timely hitting."
The Cardinal jumped on the board first in todays game when John Gall hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Stanford held the 1-0 lead through the first five innings as starting pitcher Mike Wodnicki allowed just four hits.
Nevada would post its three-run inning in the sixth off losing pitcher Dan Rich (0-1), who had relieved Wodnicki to begin the frame. Ortiz tripled in two runs with a shot that hit off the top of the left field fence before scoring the final run of the inning on a wild pitch by Rich.
The Wolf Pack added an unearned run in the top of the seventh on an RBI-double by Joe Inglett to score Christian Popoff, who had reached on a fielding error by Cardinal second baseman Andy Topham.
Stanford closed the margin to 4-2 in the eighth inning when Bruntlett led off the frame with a base hit and later came around to score on an RBI-ground out by Gall. Bruntlett also had an RBI-single to score Topham in the ninth for the final Stanford run.
George Moran (1-1) earned the victory in relief, allowing a run and three hits in 2.2 innings of work. Ryan Church recorded his first save of the season, allowing one run and two hits over the final 1.1 innings.
Nevada was led offensively by Inglett, who finished 3-for-5 with three doubles and one RBI. Church (2-for-4) and Ortiz (3B, 2 RBI) also had productive days at the plate. Bruntlett (3-for-4, 2B, RBI), Topham (2-for-3, 2B) and Gall (HR, 2 RBI) led the Cardinal attack.
Stanford next travels to face #4 Florida State in a three-game series this weekend. The Cardinal and Seminoles begin the series this Friday (3:30 p.m., EST).
NEVADA 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 -- 4 8 0 STANFORD 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 -- 3 8 1
BATTERIES: Nevada Schultz, Moran (6), Church (8) and Popoff. Stanford Wodnicki, Rich (6), Gosling (7), Luker (9) and Alvarado, Kammeyer (9).
WIN Moran (1-1) LOSS Rich (0-1) T 2:45 A 1123 HRS: Stanford Gall (1st, solo in 4th).