April 28, 2001
Stanford, Calif. - California (26-21, 11-9 Pac-10) clinched its first series victory over No. 3 Stanford (33-12, 11-6 Pac-10) since 1993 with a 4-0 shutout of the Cardinal in a Pac-10 game at Evans Diamond on Saturday. Stanford had won the previous 12 series played against the Golden Bears. Jason Dennis (4-3) scattered nine hits over the first 8.1 innings to earn the victory and Matt Brown recorded the final two outs for his eighth save as the Golden Bears upset Stanford for the second consecutive day. Stanford's loss, combined with a 7-6 USC win over UCLA on Saturday, knocked the Cardinal out of first-place in the Pac-10 for the first time this season. USC now leads the Cardinal by one game with California in third-place another 1.5 games behind the Cardinal. Stanford has now dropped four of its last five Pac-10 games to open the second half of conference action after having posted a 10-2 Pac-10 mark at the halfway point of the league schedule.
Clint Hoover's two-run homer to left field in the bottom of the second inning gave California a 2-0 lead and provided all the scoring the Golden Bears would need.
California added two insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Golden Bears loaded the bases with one out before Cardinal starter and losing pitcher Jeff Bruksch walked home a run by issuing a free pass to Brad Smith. Jeff Dragicevich completed the day's scoring with a sacrifice fly.
Bruksch (8-2) suffered his second consecutive loss after opening the season with an 8-0 record, allowing six hits and four runs. Bruksch struck out six and walked two while throwing his third complete game of the campaign. He retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced.
Stanford's most serious chance to score came in the top of the ninth inning when the Cardinal loaded the bases off Dennis. Chris O'Riordan led off the inning with a single and moved to second base on a one-out walk to Ryan Garko before Jason Cooper loaded the bases with a single. Brown relieved Dennis and struck out potential tying-run Scott Dragicevich before retiring Andy Topham on a foul out to Hoover at first base to end the game.
The shutout was the Golden Bears' first of the year and was the second time in the last week Stanford has been blanked after having not been shutout in 167 consecutive games. Stanford moved only two base runners as far as second base in the first eight innings as the Golden Bears turned three double plays. The Cardinal did leave a total of seven runners on base.
Rob Meyer (3-3) had half of the Golden Bears' six hits, while Carson White was 2-for-3 with a stolen base.
O'Riordan (3-4) led the Cardinal offense, while Garko (2-3) had a pair of hits.
Stanford and California will conclude their three-game series on Sunday (1:00 p.m.).