May 27, 2001
Ryan Garko's two-RBI single capped a three-run Stanford rally in the top of the eighth inning to lift the Cardinal to a 4-3 victory over Texas and its third consecutive NCAA Regional title at Sunken Diamond on Sunday night. The victory capped a doubleheader sweep for the Cardinal, marking the first time Stanford has ever won two games on the final day of a regional to advance in the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Stanford won the first game, 10-9, in 10 innings on a two-out RBI single by Carlos Quentin in the bottom of the 10th inning. Stanford (46-15) advances to face South Carolina in an NCAA Super Regional next Friday-Sunday, June 1-3, at a site to be determined. Texas completed its 2001 season with a 36-25 record.
Garko was named the Co-Most Outstanding Player in the Regional along with Ben King from Texas."There's not much to say, but it was an unbelievable effort by both teams," said a relieved Stanford head coach Mark Marquess after the game. "I don't think you can find two better college baseball games (than today)."
Chris O'Riordan's sacrifice fly to center field with the bases loaded scored Andy Topham to cut the Texas lead to 3-2 in the top of the eighth inning, Sam Fuld reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases once again for Garko, who drilled a Ray Clark pitch into center field to score Scott Dragicevich and Arik VanZandt, giving Stanford a 4-3 lead the Cardinal would hold on to. Garko's hit extended his career-high hitting streak to 20 games, the longest by a Cardinal player this season.
Stanford reliever J.D. Willcox shut the Longhorns out the final 2.0 innings. Willcox got his way out of a bases loaded eighth inning jam when he snagged a one-out line drive by Texas shortstop Eddie Romprey and doubled Ryan France off first base to end the Longhorns' threat. Willcox allowed a two-out walk to Ryan Hubele in the bottom of the ninth inning before retiring King on a line out to Quentin in right field to end the game.
"I knew that the defense was behind me today, and that's the most important thing," said Willcox. "The defense has been unbelievable all year. I just focused and treated it like any other game as much as I could."
The only error the Stanford defense made in five regional games came during Willcox's eighth inning.
Topham was the lone Stanford player with more than one hit in the final game of the regional, going 2-for-4. All six of Stanford's hits were singles and no Stanford player reached base until Jonny Ash's infield hit with two outs in the fifth inning broke up a perfect game for Texas' Ray Clark.
Clark (3-4) took the loss after being charged with all three eighth inning runs. Over the first seven innings, he allowed only one run and three hits.
King (2-5, RBI) and France (2-3, 2B, RBI) each had had two hits to pace the Longhorns.Mike Wodnicki pitched 1.2 innings of relief to earn the win, improving his record to 5-1.Wodnicki is now 12-1 all-time at Stanford to tie for the best won-loss percentage (12-1) in school history. Stanford starter John Hudgins pitched the first 5.1 innings, giving up only two runs and scattering six hits while striking out three and walking one.
The Longhorns were the first to get on the scoreboard when King drove in Kalani Napoleon from third with an RBI single in the bottom of the first.
Stanford struck back with one run in the top of the fifth. Ash singled with two outs and scored all the way from first base when Napolean was charged with an error after allowing a single by Topham to roll by him.
Texas regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Matt Rosenberg led off the frame with a single and was sacrificed to second by Sam Anderson before scoring on an RBI single by France to give the Longhorns a 2-1 lead.
Hubele increased the Texas advantage to 3-1 with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh.