May 5, 2000
Corvallis, Ore. - #3 Stanford (36-11, 14-5 Pac-10) remained on top of the Pac-10 standings by scoring four times in the top of the ninth inning to come away with a 10-6 win at Oregon State (26-21, 7-9 Pac-10) in a Pac-10 baseball game at Friday. Arik VanZandt broke a 6-6 tie with an RBI single in the top of the ninth to put Stanford ahead to stay. The Cardinal has now won 15 of its last 17 games overall. Chris O'Riordan (4-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI) had a career-high four hits, while Edmund Muth hit his team-leading 14th home run of the season to pace the Stanford offense. Jeff Bruksch (3-3) picked up the victory despite giving up a three-run homer to OSU's Brian Barden in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game at 6-6. Bruksch did pitch a scoreless ninth.
"This was a big victory," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "Every win, especially at this point of the season, is a big win. I was proud of the way our team was able to bounce back in the ninth inning after Oregon State came back to tie the score."
The game was tied 6-6 before O'Riordan started Stanford's four-run ninth with his fourth hit of the afternoon. O'Riordan moved to second when losing pitcher Thad Johnson (5-4) was charged with an error after he failed to pick up a sacrifice bunt attempt by Damien Alvarado, leaving Cardinal runners on first and second base with no outs. Johnson would then make another error on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Andy Topham to load the bases for VanZandt with no outs. After VanZandt singled home pinch runner Billy Jacobson with the eventual game-winning run, Eric Bruntlett drove home two more runs with a double to center field. Stanford's final run of the inning scored on a fielders choice.
Oregon State's Eric Stark opened the game's scoring with a solo homer in the bottom of the third off Stanford starter Jason Young.
The Cardinal rebounded by scoring four times in the top of the fourth. Joe Borchard singled home the first Cardinal run of the inning before a two-RBI triple from O'Riordan made the score 3-1. Alvarado drove in O'Riordan with a sacrifice fly for the final Stanford run of the frame.
Stanford extended its lead to 6-1 on Muth's two-run homer in the top of the fifth.
Oregon State began its comeback with two runs off Young in the bottom of the seventh. Barden led off the inning with a single and Andy Jarvis followed with a double to put Beavers on second and third with no outs. Both runners eventually scored on RBI groundouts by Josh Carter and Bryan Ingram to make the score 6-3.
Barden (3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI) was the only player in the game other than O'Riordan with more than one hit.
Stanford's John Gall did have his career-high 20-game hitting streak snapped with an 0-for-5 performance.
Stanford and Oregon State continue their series with single games on Saturday and Sunday, both beginning at 1:00 p.m.