March 26, 2000
Stanford, Calif. - Mike Gosling and Jeff Bruksch combined for a two-hitter as #1 Stanford (19-7, 2-1 Pac-10) defeated Arizona (17-18, 2-4 Pac-10) in the rubber game of a three-game set on Sunday at Sunken Diamond. Gosling struck out 11 Wildcat batters in his first start of the season.
Bruksch retired the final two batters of the contest after coming in the top of the ninth with one out and runners on first and second base.
Gosling cruised through the middle section of the game, retiring 12 straight at one point between the third and seventh innings. Gosling set down eight Wildcats via strikeout during the stretch, striking out the side in the fourth inning.
"I had a pretty good fastball today," said Gosling. "There were a few first inning jitters with this being my first start, but I realized that I just needed to take the same approach I have had in all of my other appearances."
Gosling's performance marked his second straight brilliant outing as he was coming off a relief appearance last Sunday (6.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, career-high 12 K) which earned him Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week honors.
Gosling is now 2-1 on the season with a 1.00 ERA in 36.0 IP. He has allowed just 12 hits and four earned runs.
"Mike Gosling gave us a fabulous pitching performance today," said head coach Mark Marquess. "He has been so super the last two weekends."
"We also had some timely hitting from guys like Damien Alvarado, Jason VanMeetren and Chris O'Riordan," added Marquess.
O'Riordan put Stanford ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the first with a two-out, two-RBI bases loaded single to erase a 1-0 lead Arizona held after an RBI-single by Keoni DeRenne in the top of the first.
The Cardinal upped its lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the second. VanMeetren doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a double play ball hit by Eric Bruntlett with the bases loaded and no outs. Edmund Muth then singled home Alvarado to make the score 4-1.
Stanford tallied three times in the bottom of the third on VanMeetren's two-RBI-single and an RBI-double from Alvarado.
O'Riordan (2-for-3, 2 RBI) and VanMeetren (2-for-4, 2B, RBI) were the only players for either team with more than one hit. Bruntlett (10-game) and Craig Thompson (9-game) both had their hitting streaks snapped.
Arizona's Rob Shabansky (1-2) took the loss, giving up six runs on three hits and five walks in 2.1 innings.
Stanford will host Saint Mary's in a non-conference game this Tuesday (6:00 p.m.) before traveling to #6 Arizona State for a three-game Pac-10 series beginning on Friday (7:00 p.m.).