March 2, 2002
Stanford, Calif. - No. 1 Stanford (11-4) exploded for an 18-5 win over Cal Poly (9-13-1) as the Cardinal hit a season-high four homers and set a new season-high for runs scored in a non-conference game at Sunken Diamond on Saturday. Ryan Garko, Jason Cooper, Chris Carter and Andy Topham all homered for the Cardinal, who won for the fifth time in the last six games. Stanford starter Tim Cunningham (4-0) won his 10th consecutive decision, scattering 10 hits and four runs over the first 6.0 innings. Stanford once again benefited from a couple of big innings in the victory, scoring eight times in the bottom of the second and six more times in the sixth, to extend its series winning streak to seven dating back to last season.
"It was nice to get a couple of big innings again," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "We kept scoring runs today and didn't allow them to get back in the game like we did last night."
Carter (2-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBI), Tobin Swope (2-2), Arik VanZandt (2-3, 3B, RBI) and Donny Lucy (2-4, 3B, 2 RBI) had two hits each for Stanford. Lucy extended his string of at least one RBI in a game to 12 in a row. Cooper and Chris O'Riordan had three RBI each for the Cardinal. O'Riordan hit three sacrifice flies but went 0-for-2 as his hit streak ended at a career-high-tying 11 games.
Garko opened the game's scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a solo homer, his team-leading fourth, to straight away center field.
Stanford's eight-run second inning began with back-to-back doubles by Carter and Carlos Quentin for the first Cardinal run. Quentin scored on a sacrifice fly by Scott Dragicevich and Topham followed with a solo homer to make the score 4-0. Sam Fuld drove home O'Riordan to give Stanford a 5-0 lead before a two-RBI triple by Lucy made the margin 7-0. Stanford scored its final two runs of the inning when Carter hit his first collegiate homer, a two-run shot to right field.
Cal Poly picked up a pair of runs in the top of the third inning on an RBI single by Aaron Escobedo and an RBI fielders choice by Sam Herbert.
Stanford scored another run in the bottom of the third when VanZandt tripled with one out and scored on O'Riordan's first sacrifice fly of the contest.
The Mustangs tallied single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to cut the Cardinal lead to 10-4. Bryan Gant singled home Escobedo in the fifth and Jason Barringer's RBI single scored Alex Chavarria in the sixth.
Stanford then put the game away with six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Cooper's hit his first home run of the season, a three-run shot to right field, for the first three Cardinal runs. Pinch-hitter Danny Putnam and VanZandt had RBI singles later in the frame before O'Riordan finished the scoring with his second sacrifice fly.
Both teams tallied in the eighth inning. The Mustangs picked up a run in the top of the eighth on an RBI double by pinch-hitter Nick Snow. Stanford scored twice in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Jonny Ash and O'Riordan's third sacrifice fly.
Cal Poly starter Nick Doan (0-3) suffered the loss, giving up seven runs (five earned) and five hits in the first 1.1 innings.
A total of 40 players participated in the contest (Cal Poly 21, Stanford 19).
The teams conclude the three-game series at Sunken Diamond on Sunday (1 pm, PT).