April 7, 2001
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Stanford, Calif. - Jeff Bruksch pitched 8.0 scoreless innings and struck out a career-high 12 batters to help top-ranked Stanford (26-7, 6-2 Pac-10) gain a split of a Pac-10 doubleheader with UCLA (21-10, 4-4 Pac-10) at Sunken Diamond on Saturday. Bruksch (7-0, 2.40 ERA) won for the seventh time in his last eight starts. Bruksch has been the starting pitcher in four of Stanford's six shutouts this season and has given up only four earned runs in his last 53.2 innings. Ryan McCally pitched a perfect ninth inning to complete the shutout. Jason VanMeetren (3-3, 3B, 2 RBI), Ryan Garko (2-3, 2B, 3 RBI) and Sam Fuld (2 RBI) led Stanford's offensive attack. Jon Brandt (3-3) suffered the loss, giving up seven runs and five hits over the first 3.0 innings.
"Jeff came up big for us again today," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "After getting beat in that first game, we really needed the second contest."
"I wanted to pick up the team and get another win, but I try to go out with the same focus every time I pitch," added Bruksch. "I wanted to give us a chance to win the series tomorrow."
UCLA picked up a 6-4 victory in the first game of the doubleheader, which was necessary after Friday night's scheduled series opener was postponed due to rain. The Bruins handed Stanford's Jeremy Guthrie (7-1, 1.70 ERA) his first loss of the season as the Cardinal right-hander allowed five runs (four earned) and eight hits in 7.0 innings, while striking out nine. The Bruins led 5-0 before Stanford rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to close within 5-4. However, Doug Silva came on in relief with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning and struck out three of the five batters he faced to earn his second save of the season. Josh Karp (3-0) pitched 5.0 scoreless innings, striking out six and scattering five hits to earn the win. Josh Canales (3-4), Brian Baron (2-3, HR, 3 RBI), Matt Pearl (2-5) and Eric Reese (HR, RBI) led UCLA's offensive attack. Chris O'Riordan (2-4, HR, RBI), Fuld (2-4), Garko (2-4) and Scott Dragicevich (2B, 3 RBI) led Stanford.
The doubleheader featured the extension of long hitting streaks for five players. Stanford's Andy Topham hit safely in both games to extend his career-high hitting streak to 13 games, while Fuld and VanMeetren both extended their career-high hitting streaks to 10 games. Canales (15 games) and Baron (10 games) both extended their hitting streaks as well.
The Bruins scored twice in the top of the first inning off Guthrie in the first game on a two-run homer by Baron and extended its lead to 5-0 with a single run in the fifth and two more in the seventh. Canales scored on an RBI groundout by Adam Berry in the fifth. Ben Francisco's RBI double in the seventh made the score 4-0 and Baron drove in another run on a sacrifice fly.
Stanford scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to cut the Bruins lead to 5-4. O'Riordan hit his team-high seventh home run to lead off the inning and break up the Bruins' shutout. Dragicevich's bases-clearing three-RBI double cut UCLA's lead to 5-4 but Arik VanZandt left the Dragicevich on second base as the tying run by grounding out to pitcher Kevin Jerkins to end the inning.
UCLA added an insurance run on a solo homer by Reece to lead off the top of the eighth inning.The Cardinal scored three times in the bottom of the second inning of the nightcap to take a lead the team would never relinquish, scoring all three runs on a bases-clearing three-RBI double by Garko.
VanMeetren's tripled home O'Riordan in the bottom of the third inning and then scored on a wild pitch to give Stanford a 5-0 lead.
The Cardinal closed out the day's scoring with four runs in the bottom of the fourth frame. Fuld doubled home Garko and VanZandt, who had singled back-to-back to open the inning, to give Stanford a 7-0 lead. O'Riordan then singled home Fuld and later scored on VanMeetren's RBI single.
Stanford and USC, a 5-1 winner over Arizona State on Saturday, are currently tied for first place in the Pac-10. Stanford has won 12 of its last 14 games and 24 of 27. UCLA, which is currently tied for fourth place in the Pac-10, had won four in a row before dropping the second game of today's doubleheader.
Guthrie's loss in the first game of today's doubleheader was the first time Stanford's regular starting rotation of Guthrie, Bruksch and Tim Cunningham (4-0, 3.17) has lost a game this season. The trio is now a combined 18-1.
Stanford and UCLA will conclude their three-game series with a single game on Sunday (1 pm). The Cardinal needs a victory to extend its regular season series win streak to 16.