Feb. 17, 2001
Austin, Tex. - Jeff Bruksch and Mike Wodnicki combined on a three-hit shutout as #9 Stanford (9-3) extended its season-high winning streak to seven games with a 5-0 victory over Texas (5-6) on Saturday at Disch-Falk Field. Bruksch pitched a career-high 8.1 innings and was only two outs from his first collegiate complete game before Wodnicki relieved him with one out in the bottom of the ninth and forced Ben King to ground into a game-ending double play with his second pitch. The shutout was the second by the Stanford pitching staff this season and was the first time the Longhorns had been shutout in 2001. Texas had only two base runners reach as far as second base. Stanford, which also won Friday's series-opener, has now won its last 10 consecutive regular season series dating back to last season.
"This was a great pitching performance by Jeff Bruksch," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "He really kept Texas off balance. He had everything going -- a good fastball, change, curve, and good location with everything. He was dominant."
"This was a pitchers' game," Marquess added. "Both pitchers did a good job."
Bruksch retired 11 consecutive batters between a fifth-inning leadoff single by Omar Quintanilla and a leadoff walk to pinch hitter Chris Neuman to begin the ninth frame. Bruksch, who struck out six and walked three, was removed from the game after walking Matt Rosenberg, his second free pass in the bottom of the ninth inning.
"I put it all together today," said Bruksch. "The last couple of outings I may have been lacking with one pitch, but I think I had all my pitches working well today. I was confident with all of them. The other thing I was able to do was to stay and focused and just concentrate on every pitch."
Arik VanZandt led the Cardinal offense with his second consecutive three-hit day, going 3-for-5 with a double, stolen base and RBI. Chris O'Riordan had the only two other hits for the Cardinal as he was 2-for-5 with a stolen base and an RBI, extending his hitting streak to a career-high nine games. Jason VanMeetren was 0-for-4 (RBI) as his career-high hitting streak ended at eight games. Brian Hall and Jason Cooper had one RBI each, while Hall also scored twice and added a stolen base.
Quintanilla (2-3) had two of the Longhorns' three hits.
Gerrit Simpson (0-2) took the loss for Texas despite limiting the Cardinal to four hits and two runs over the first 7.2 innings. Simpson walked three and struck out five. Stanford added its three final runs (one earned) in the ninth inning off Longhorns' reliever Derick Grigsby, who hit four Cardinal batters in the frame.
O'Riordan led off the contest with a single up the middle for the second straight day and moved to third base on a double by VanZandt. O'Riordan scored the first Cardinal run when VanMeetren was credited with an RBI on a ground ball that was booted by Longhorn shortstop Frankie Contreras.
The Cardinal increased its lead to 2-0 with another run in the top of the second inning on a two-out RBI single by VanZandt to score Brian Hall, who had reached on a one-out walk and moved to second base on a wild pitch.
Stanford added three insurance runs in the top of the ninth, taking advantage of the four hit batsmen by Grigsby and an error by Quintanilla at second base. The three runs came across on an RBI-fielders choice from Hall, an RBI single by O'Riordan and when Jason Cooper was credited with an RBI when Grigsby hit him with the bases loaded.
The Cardinal picked up three stolen bases to run its season total to 25, compared with only six for its opponents.
Stanford and Texas conclude their three-game series on Sunday (1:00 p.m., CT).