June 9, 2000
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Jason Young gave Stanford the norm: a good outing andanother strong start in the College World Series.
The junior right-hander gave up six hits and four runs in 7 1-3 innings asStanford beat Louisiana-Lafayette 6-4 Friday night, winning its opening game atRosenblatt Stadium for the sixth time in its last seven trips.
Young (9-1), who picked up two wins for the Cardinal in last year's CWS,sprinted off the field and into the dugout after handing reliever Jeff Brukschthe ball and giving him a pat for support.
Young received the same from his teammates, despite giving up three solohome runs to Louisiana-Lafayette. Bruksch pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings,striking out three, for his 13th save.
Stanford (48-15) advanced to play Clemson in the winners' bracket on Sunday.Louisiana-Lafayette (47-19) and San Jose State will meet in an eliminationgame.
Louisiana-Lafayette, which entered the CWS with a 3.20 ERA - third best inthe nation behind Texas (3.13) and Nebraska (3.14) - still hasn't given updouble-digits in runs this season.
The Ragin' Cajuns just didn't score enough against Stanford.
Young struck out the side in the first inning and retired the Ragin' Cajunsin order in the third and the fifth.
He looked like he might be in trouble in the seventh, after giving up thesecond of two home runs, but he retired the next four batters.
Nathan Nelson then hit a solo shot, his sixth of the season, to bringBruksch out of the bullpen.
Stanford scored two runs in the third inning and added another pair in thefourth off starter Justin Gabriel (9-4). Gabriel walked three of the first fourbatters and never recovered.
He gave up four hits, seven walks and four runs in 3 1-3 innings.
Damien Alvarado led off the third with a single, advanced to second on asacrifice and moved to third on Eric Bruntlett's infield hit. He scored onEdmund Muth's RBI fielder's choice. Bruntlett scored on Rick Haydel's fieldingerror.
Craig Thompson gave the Cardinal two more runs in the fourth with a double,bringing home Alvarado and Arik VanZandt. Alvarado led Louisiana-Lafayette withthree hits and two runs.
The Ragin' Cajuns cut the lead in half with a two-run homer in the fifth.Haydel, the No. 9 hitter, hit his seventh home run, scoring Jarvis Larry fromfirst.
Stanford got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fifth when JoeBorchard hit a solo shot, his 19th of the season, to make it 5-2. Muth led offthe seventh with his 19th homer.
Larry hit a solo shot, his third, in the seventh for Louisiana-Lafayette.
By MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer