March 21, 2000
Moraga, Calif. - One day after regaining the top ranking in the Baseball America poll, Stanford (17-6) celebrated with an 11-3 victory over Saint Mary's (10-15) in a non-conference game at Louis Guisto Field. The Cardinal, which was ranked #1 in the preseason but had not held the top spot since dropping two-of-three to Florida State over a month ago, has now won 10 of its last 12 games. Stanford tied a season-high with 11 runs and collected a season-high 14 hits as six players had two or more hits each. John Gall (3-for-5, 3 RBI) led the Cardinal offensive attack. Mike Wodnicki, the first of five Cardinal pitchers, earned his first victory of the season to improve to 1-0.
Stanford will open its 2000 Pac-10 season at Sunken Diamond this Friday (6:00 p.m.), hosting Arizona in the opener of a three-game series. The teams will also play Saturday and Sunday with games beginning at 1:00 p.m. each day.
Stanford trailed 1-0 in today's contest before scoring five times in the top of third off losing pitcher Eric Bowden (2-3). The first six batters of the inning picked up hits, including RBI-doubles from Craig Thompson and Joe Borchard. Eric Bruntlett and Gall each had RBI-singles in the frame. Andy Topham started the inning with a single and Edmund Muth doubled in between the RBI-singles by Bruntlett and Gall.
Topham (2-for-2), Muth (2-for-3, 2B, RBI), Thompson (2-for-4, 2B, RBI), Borchard (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI) and Bruntlett (2-for-5, RBI) all joined Gall with multiple-hit days.
"We are really starting to come around as a team from an offensive standpoint," said a pleased Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "Hitting can be contagious and all of our guys are starting to come around at the same time. That's a nice situation."
After struggling early in the season, the Cardinal has exploded offensively of late, collecting 10 or more hits in five of its last six games.
Stanford added to its early 5-1 lead with a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Topham came around to score via a throwing error on Gaels right fielder Jason Waugh and Gall later added an RBI-single.
The game featured nine errors with Saint Mary's committing five and Stanford being charged with four.
Saint Mary's rallied in the fourth, scoring a run on an RBI-double by James Gaulke before loading the bases with one out. Stanford reliever Jason Luker, the third Cardinal hurler of the day, came in at that point to retire Brett Wayne and Mark Teahan to end the threat.
The Cardinal finished its scoring with two runs in both the seventh and eighth innings. Borchard had a sacrifice fly and Billy Jacobson stroked an RBI-single in the seventh. A sacrifice fly by Muth and an RBI-groundout from Gall accounted for the two eighth inning runs.Saint Mary's closed out the scoring with a single run in the eighth on an RBI double by pinch-hitter Neal McSherry.
Tom Nichols (2-for-4, RBI) was the only Saint Mary's player with more than one hit.
Earlier in day, Stanford pitcher Mike Gosling earned Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week honors for the first time in his career following his career-high 12 strikeout performance in an 11-4 win over #12 USC last Sunday.