March 29, 2002
Stanford, Calif. - Justin Simmons recorded his second shutout of the season and third of his career in a career-best 10.0 innings as No. 16 Texas (25-7) scored twice in the top of the 10th inning for a 2-0 victory over No. 1 Stanford (18-6) in a non-conference game at Sunken Diamond. Ryan Hubele broke a scoreless tie with a one-out RBI double off the left field fence to score Omar Quintanilla, who had doubled with one out to start the Longhorn rally. Hubele scored an insurance run when he came across the plate on an RBI single by Eric Sultemeier two batters later to chase Cardinal reliever and losing pitcher Drew Ehrlich (0-2).
Simmons and Stanford's Tim Cunningham battled to a 0-0 tie through nine innings before Ehrlich relieved Cunningham to start the 10th inning. Simmons allowed only five hits and three walks with five strikeouts, while Cunningham struck out a season-high eight in a career-best 9.0 innings, scattering seven hits and three walks. Simmons extended his scoreless inning streak to 18.0 innings and improved to 8-0 this season with the victory, while the Longhorns recorded their fifth shutout in the last six games.
"Tim Cunningham pitched a great game to shutout Texas for nine innings," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "Unfortunately, we just couldn't get him any runs because Justin Simmons pitched a great game as well."
Both teams had scoring chances throughout the contest as Texas left 12 runners on base and the Cardinal stranded eight.
Stanford's biggest threat came when the Cardinal loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning before Simmons struck out Jason Cooper and Carlos Quentin to get out of the jam. Stanford had filled the bases on a single by Chris O'Riordan, a double from Sam Fuld and an intentional walk to Ryan Garko.
Texas loaded the bases in the top of the first inning before Cunningham forced Sultemeier into an inning-ending ground out to shortstop.
The Longhorns also stranded two runners in the fifth and sixth innings before another serious threat in the top of the ninth ended when Tim Moss lined out to right field leaving Longhorns on first and third base.
Stanford has its five-game win streak snapped, while Texas won for the ninth time in the last 10 games. The loss was Stanford's first extra-inning defeat this season after two of the last three Cardinal victories have come in extra innings. Stanford also fell for only the second time at home this year and is now 9-2 at Sunken Diamond. The Cardinal also lost for the first time on a Friday after six consecutive victories.
O'Riordan extended his hit streak to nine games with his eighth-inning single, while Cooper had his career-high 15-game hit streak come to an end with an 0-for-4 evening.
Sultemeier (2-5, RBI) and Quintanilla (2-5, 2B) had two hits each for Texas, while Fuld (2-3) was the only Cardinal with more than one hit.
Stanford and Texas conclude the three-game non-conference series at Sunken Diamond on Saturday (1 pm, PT). The Cardinal needs a victory to extend its regular season series winning streak to 10.