Feb. 3, 2001
STANFORD, Calif. - Junior center fielder Jessica Mendoza drove in three runs with a two-run home run and an RBI single while Tori Nyberg and Jamie Forman-Lau combined on a two-hit shutout as No. 15 Stanford opened the 2001 season with a 4-0 victory over visiting San Francisco State.
Stanford, which began a season-opening seven-game homestand, is now 1-0. San Francisco State drops to 0-5.
The Cardinal took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a two-run homer by Mendoza, the reigning Pac-10 Player of the Year. With one out and nobody on base, Maureen LeCocq reached on a two-base error by SFSU center fielder Jody Fabris. Mendoza, who was 2-for-3 on the day, then drilled a line drive over the fence in right-center for her 23rd career homer, an ongoing Stanford record.
Gator starter Lisa Delman (0-3) settled down after the first, locking into a pitchers duel with Nyberg and holding Stanford scoreless over the next three innings. The Cardinal added single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings off reliever Megan Wyrick for the final 4-0 margin. In the bottom of the fifth, Mendoza's single up the middle with two out was stopped on a dive by Gator second baseman Amber Miraya, but a hustling Robin Walker scored all the way from second. Jessica Draemel, a transfer from Nebraska, delivered a two-out, RBI single in the sixth in her first Stanford at-bat.
Nyberg (1-0), who allowed just one hit over the first four innings while walking three and striking out five, survived the only SFSU threat in the top of the third. A two-out error, single and walk loaded the bases, but Nyberg struck out Wyrick swinging to end the inning. Forman-Lau allowed only a single in three innings of work for her first save.
Kira Ching and Ramona Shelburne each went 2-for-3 for Stanford, while Angela Torres reached base three times for San Francisco State.
Stanford is back in action tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 4, when the Cardinal hosts Santa Clara in a doubleheader beginning at 12 noon.
Score by Innings 1234567RHE San Francisco St. (0-5)0000000021 No. 15 Stanford (1-0)200011X481
SFSU: Delsman, Wyrick (5) and Darrow. STAN: Nyberg, Forman-Lau (5) and Thiry and Allister (5). WP: Nyberg (1-0). LP: Delsman (0-3). SV: Forman-Lau (1). 2B: Beeson (STAN), Ching (STAN). 3B: None. HR: Mendoza (STAN), 1st inn. / 1 on / 1 out.