April 27, 2001
Stanford, Calif. -- Brad Smith and Ben Conley both homered in a three-run sixth inning to lead California (25-21, 10-9 Pac-10) to a come-from-behind 7-4 victory over No. 3 Stanford (33-11, 11-5 Pac-10) in a Pac-10 baseball game at Evans Diamond on Friday. Stanford falls back into a first-place tie with USC (30-16, 11-5 Pac-10), a 2-0 winner over UCLA on Friday. Trevor Hutchinson (4-6) tossed a complete game for the Golden Bears, shutting out Stanford over the last 5.0 innings on only one hit. Hutchinson retired 17 of the last 18 batters he faced. Stanford's Jeremy Guthrie (8-3) gave up eight hits and six runs (five earned) in 7.0 innings, taking the loss despite tying a career-high with 11 strikeouts.
Conley (3-4, 2B, HR, RBI), Carson White (2-4, 2B) and Smith (1-2, HR, 2 RBI) led the Golden Bears offense, while Chris O'Riordan (2-5, RBI) was the only Stanford player with more than one hit.
Stanford led 4-3 before Smith connected on a two-run homer off the scoreboard behind the right center field fence with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Golden Bears a 5-4 lead. Conley hit a solo homer over the left field fence two batters later to give California a 6-4 advantage. California added a run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a two-out RBI single by Jeff Dragicevich.
"I didn't make the pitches I needed to make today," said Guthrie, who had only allowed two home runs in 90.0 innings of work prior to the sixth inning long balls by Smith and Conley. "They hit the ball well when they needed to."
Stanford jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of a wild first inning. The Cardinal loaded the bases with no outs on a walk to Sam Fuld and base hits by O'Riordan and Carlos Quentin. Fuld scored Stanford's first run when he crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Garko. O'Riordan scored the second run when Andy Topham struck out and California catcher John Baker made an errant throw trying to get Topham at first base after he failed to come up with the third strike cleanly.
California answered back with three runs in the bottom of the first frame. Conley led off the bottom of the first inning with a double and scored on an RBI single by Conor Jackson before Guthrie was able to record an out. The Golden Bears loaded the bases with one out before Guthrie forced Clint Hoover to hit a ground ball to shortstop Scott Dragicevich that gave the Cardinal an opportunity to get out of the jam with an inning-ending double play. However, an errant throw by O'Riordan on the tail end of the double play effort allowed Hoover to be credited with an RBI fielder's choice and Brian Horwitz to come around to score from second base on O'Riordan's error.
Stanford immediately tied the score at 3-3 in the top of the second inning when O'Riordan singled home Arik VanZandt, who had reached on a one-out single.
The Cardinal regained a 4-3 lead with an unearned run in the top of the fourth inning. Fuld reached on a single with one out. O'Riordan then hit a ground ball to Jackson at third base. Fuld was running on the pitch and when Jackson's throw skipped by Hoover at first base, Fuld came all the way around to score.
After walking Smith to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning, Guthrie recorded six consecutive strikeouts before giving up three runs in the sixth.
Stanford and California will continue their three-game series on Saturday and Sunday with 1:00 p.m. starts scheduled both days.