May 28, 2000
STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford scored seven runs in the first two innings and neverlooked back as it rolled to a 16-6 victory over Alabama in the championshipgame of the NCAA Regional at Stanford. Stanford needed the victory afterAlabama beat the Cardinal, 14-9, in the first game of the day to force asecond contest. The Cardinal now advances to an NCAA Super Regional nextFriday-Sunday where it will play the winner of the Nebraska-Wichita Stateregional championship game to be played on Monday. Stanford enters SuperRegional action with a 45-14 record, while Alabama completes its 2000campaign with a 41-24 record.
John Gall led the Cardinal, going 3-for-6 with two doubles and aseason-high-tying five RBI.
Seven of the first eight Stanford batters reached base on the way to scoringfour first-inning runs. Edmund Muth doubled home Craig Thompson with thefirst run. One out later, John Gall, Chris O'Riordan, and Damien Alvaradoeach added RBI base hits. In the second inning, Borchard brought around EricBruntlett to make it a 5-0 score. Gall then followed with an RBI single andO'Riordan added a sacrifice fly for the seven run lead.
Alabama got within five runs in the third when it posted two runs on theboard. With two outs, Brent Boyd singled home Aaron Clark and Dan Chavers.That is as close as the Crimson Tide would come, however, as Stanford scoredthree unearned runs with two outs in the fourth. This time, it was AndyTopham, Thompson and Bruntlett with RBI base hits.
Six more runs in the seventh, including a three-run home run by Gall, andStanford was on its way to a second straight trip to the Super Regionals.Lost in all of the scoring was an impressive outing by Stanford pitcherBrian Sager. Over six innings of work, Sager gave up four runs and sevenhits as he picked up his fifth win of the year.
Thompson and Muth had two hits each for the Cardinal. In addition, all nineStanford starters recorded base hits in the Cardinal's offensive explosionof 16 runs and 20 hits, both being the most an Alabama team has given up ina NCAA postseason game. The Crimson Tide used six pitchers.
Updated Records: Stanford 45-14, Alabama 41-24
Notes: Stanford plays in next week's Super Regional against Nebraska orWichita State.
NCAA BASEBALL REGIONAL AT STANFORD, CALIF.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
C - Matt Ortiz, Nevada
1B - Jeremy Brown, Alabama
2B - Sam Bozanich, Alabama
SS - Eric Bruntlett, Stanford
3B - John Gall, Stanford
OF - Joe Borchard, Stanford
OF - Edmund Muth, Stanford
OF - Scott McLanahan, Alabama
DH - Ben King, Alabama
P - Jason Young, Stanford
P - Scott Murphy, Alabama
MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER - Joe Borchard, Stanford