May 21, 2000
Stanford, Calif. - #2 Stanford (42-13, 17-7 Pac-10) captured a share of the Pac-10 baseball title with a 17-11 win over UCLA (35-24, 17-7 Pac-10) at Sunken Diamond on the final day of the regular season for both teams Sunday. The title gives Stanford a Pac-10 title for the fourth straight year with Pac-10 titles in 1999 and 2000, as well as Pac-10 Southern Division titles in 1997 and 1998. Stanford had never won four straight Pac-10 championships in the illustrious 107-year history of the baseball program. The title also gives Stanford at least a share of Pac-10 championships in football, men's basketball and baseball during the 1999-2000 academic year, marking the first time Stanford has ever accomplished the feat. The Cardinal is also the first Pac-10 team to have accomplished that feat since UCLA came away with at least a share of all three titles in 1975-76. Stanford, Arizona and State finished in a three-way tie for the Pac-10 baseball championship. Arizona State wins the automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament as the Sun Devils won two-of-three versus both the Cardinal and the Bruins during the season.
"This was a great way to go out in our final regular season game," said John Gall, one of six Stanford seniors. "I couldn't have written a better script. It's great that we are playing this well at the end of the year, hopefully, it will give us momentum for the post-season."
Stanford will open the 2000 NCAA Tournament by hosting an NCAA Regional this Friday-Sunday (May 26-28). The Cardinal, who won 21 of their last 25 regular season games, will play at 7:00 p.m. on Friday with the entire NCAA Tournament bracket to be announced live on ESPN on Monday, May 22 (Noon, PDT).
"What I really like about this senior class is that they weren't that highly recruited but they've done an incredible job throughout their careers," said an elated Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "Now it's time to shift gears for the second season."
Joe Borchard led the Cardinal offense today as he was 3-for-5 with a grandslam home run in the sixth inning and a season-high-tying five RBI. Gall (3-for-6, 2 2B, HR, RBI) and Damien Alvarado (3-for-3) also had three hits each, while Eric Bruntlett was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
Stanford jumped out to a 9-0 lead after the first two innings. The Cardinal scored three runs in the bottom of the first on RBI singles by Bruntlett and Borchard, as well as a sacrifice fly from Chris O'Riordan. Bruntlett's double drove home the team's first run in the second before Edmund Muth extended the lead to 6-0 with a two-RBI single. A bases loaded walk to O'Riordan, as well as an RBI single by Andy Topham and a sacrifice fly from Arik VanZandt closed out the Cardinal scoring in the second inning.
After UCLA scored one run thanks to four walks in the fourth inning, Stanford added another pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth on a two-RBI double by Craig Thompson. UCLA rallied for four runs in the top of the fifth, cutting Stanford's lead to 11-5 on a two-RBI single by pinch hitter Adam Berry and RBI singles from Bill Scott and Charles Merricks. Stanford answered back in the bottom of the fifth with a run on an RBI single by O'Riordan to make the score 12-5.
Stanford then scored four times in the bottom of the sixth on Borchard's grandslam to take a commanding 16-5 lead.
UCLA made its final run at the Cardinal with two runs in the seventh and four more in the eighth to cut the lead to 16-11. The Bruins scored on an RBI ground out and a wild pitch in the seventh. Berry had a two-run homer and Garrett Atkins contributed a two-run double in the eighth.
Stanford closed out the scoring when Gall hit a home run to right centerfield in the final regular season at bat of his collegiate career in the bottom of the eighth.
Relief pitcher Tim Cunningham (5-1) earned credit for the victory as he allowed two hits and two runs in 3.0 innings. UCLA starter Bobby Roe (6-5) was tagged with the loss as he was touched for seven runs (four earned) and four hits in 1.1 innings.
Berry (3-for-3, 2B, HR, 4 RBI) entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning and was the only Bruin with more than one hit.