Feb. 16, 2001
Austin, Tex. - #9 Stanford (8-3) extended its season-high winning streak to six games with a 9-6 victory in the opening game of a three-game series at Texas (5-5) on Friday at Disch-Falk Field. Jeremy Guthrie (2-0) picked up the victory on the mound, while John Hudgins recorded his fourth save of the season. Scott Dragicevich (3-5, RBI) and Arik VanZandt (3-6, SB) had three hits each for the Cardinal. Jason Cooper hit his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the top of the fourth inning, and had three RBI while walking three times. Guthrie, who was named the NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week after his win over Florida State last Friday, scattered seven hits and three runs (two earned) over the first 7.0 innings to win his second consecutive outing.
"I was really happy with our defense today," said a humble Guthrie, who has now given up just three earned runs in 24.0 innings this season for a 1.12 earned run average. "The defense helped me out in spots where I really needed it."
"I was a little nervous coming in here (to Texas) with a young team," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess following the victory. "It was good to get this win today in a tough place to play."
Stanford jumped out to a 5-0 lead with three runs in the top of the first inning and two in the second, taking advantage of a pair of errors by Longhorn shortstop Frankie Contreras to score three unearned runs. Cooper drove home Chris O'Riordan with the first Cardinal run in the top of the first inning on an RBI-groundout. O'Riordan had ran his career-high-tying hitting streak to eight games when he singled to lead off the contest. Jason VanMeetren came around to score Stanford's second run of the inning when Contreras short-hopped a throw to first base on a ground ball by Carlos Quentin and Dragicevich singled home Quentin to give Stanford a 3-0 lead. Both Stanford runs in the second inning came across on another throwing error by Contreras. Arik VanZandt beat out an infield single to load the bases and when Contreras' backdoor throw to third base hit Sam Fuld in the back and skipped into the Longhorn dugout, Fuld and O'Riordan both scored.
Texas answered back with a pair runs in the bottom of the second inning and one more in the third to cut the Cardinal lead to 5-3. Omar Quintanilla singled home Ryan France, who had doubled to lead off the Texas second, with the first Longhorn run. Sam Anderson scored on an RBI-fielders choice by Wayne Stone. The Longhorns scored an unearned run in the third, taking advantage of a two-base throwing error by Stanford catcher Ryan Garko on a pickoff attempt of Ryan Hubele, who eventually scored on a safety squeeze by Matt Rosenberg.
Stanford increased its lead to 7-3 on Cooper's two-run homer in the top of the fourth and again to 8-3 on Fuld's RBI single to score Dragicevich in the top of the fifth.
The Cardinal held its 8-3 advantage until a Texas rally in the bottom of the eighth off Cardinal reliever Ryan McCally. The Longhorns loaded the bases with only one out against McCally before John Hudgins came in to record a sacrifice fly and a strikeout to get Stanford out of a jam and preserve an 8-4 Stanford advantage.
Stanford added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly by O'Riordan in the top of the ninth inning.Texas made the game interesting with two more runs off Hudgins in the bottom of the ninth. Hubele led off the frame with a double and scored on a one-out triple by Ben King, who later scored on a fielders choice by Quintanilla to cut Stanford's lead to 9-6. However, Hudgins would strikeout potential tying run Jeff Ontiveros to end the game.
Jason VanMeetren (2-4, 2B) also had a multiple-hit game for Stanford and extended his career-high hitting streak to eight games. Quintanilla (3-5, 2 RBI) led the Texas offensive attack, while Hubele (2-3, 2B) and King (2-5, 3B, RBI, SB) also had multiple-hit games.
Ray Clark (0-2) took the loss for the Longhorns, giving up eight hits and eight runs (five earned) in 4.2 innings.
Stanford and Texas continue their three-game series with single games on Saturday and Sunday (1:00 p.m., CT).