April 8, 2000
Pullman, Wash. - Jason Young recorded a season-high 15 strikeouts as #7 Stanford (24-9, 5-3 Pac-10) blasted Washington State (14-21, 2-6 Pac-10) by a final score of 11-3 in a Pac-10 baseball game at Bailey-Brayton Field. Young's 15 strikeouts were the most by a Stanford pitcher this season and just one shy of his career high of 16 set versus Arizona State on March 5, 1999.
Stanford's school record is 18 set by Steve Dunning in 1970. Young also won his 10th straight decision dating back to last year and improved to 4-0 this season as he tossed 8.0 innings before Jason Luker tossed a scoreless ninth.
Today's victory moved Stanford to within one game of the top of the Pac-10 standings. UCLA moved into a first place tie in the Pac-10 with USC after beating the Trojans today. Both teams are 6-2. Arizona State is tied with Stanford at 5-3 in third place.
"This was Jason Young's best outing of the year," said Cardinal head coach Mark Marquess. "I think it's obvious he is back in good health. He had an excellent fastball today."
"I was happy with my performance," added Young. "I had all of my pitches going and was locating the ball well."
Stanford's offense was also in high gear as the Cardinal collected a season-high-tying 19 hits. Seven Cardinal players had multiple-hit games led by Edmund Muth (3-5, 2B, HR, RBI), Damien Alvarado (3-4, RBI) and Chris O'Riordan (3-5). Muth's homer was his team-leading 10th of the season, a solo shot in the ninth. Joe Borchard also had a key three-run blast in the first inning, his eighth of the year and his fifth in eight Pac-10 games.
Borchard's three-run homer with two outs in the top of the first inning gave Stanford a 3-0 lead. Washington State cut the margin to 3-1 on an RBI-single by Jason Grove in the bottom of the first.
Stanford scored an unearned run in the top of the second as Alvarado eventually came across the plate on a wild pitch. The Cougars again answered back with a run in the bottom of the third when Young walked Jordan Nilsen with the bases loaded to force home Shawn Stevenson.Young then settled down to retire nine of the next 11 batters he faced. At one point, Young recorded six straight outs by strikeout.
Stanford added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to increase its lead to 6-2. Jason VanMeetren doubled and later scored on a passed ball in the sixth, while Alvarado singled home Borchard in the seventh.
Washington State touched Young for a run in the seventh inning to cut the score to 6-3. The Cougars had runners on first and third base with only one out and the run already in. With the tying run coming to the plate twice, Young struck out Wes Falkenborg and pinch-hitter Zach Bode to end the threat.
Stanford put the game out of reach with four runs in the top of the eighth. Jason Cooper and Alvarado both had RBI-singles to highlight the inning. Muth's solo homer in the ninth closed out the scoring.
Cooper (2-2, RBI), VanMeetren (2-5, 2B), John Gall (2-5, RBI) and Craig Thompson (2-6) each added two hits for the Cardinal. Ray Hattenburg (2-4) and Stevenson (2-5, 2B) posted multiple-hit games for the Cougars.
Matt O'Brien (6-2) suffered the loss for the Cougars as he allowed 10 hits and five runs (four earned) over the first 6.0 innings.
Both teams left 12 runners on base.
Stanford and Washington State conclude the three-game set on Sunday (1:00 p.m.).