April 20, 2002
Seattle, Wash. - No. 2 Stanford (27-9, 5-3 Pac-10) scored seven times in the final three innings for a 9-4 comeback victory over Washington (16-19-1, 4-4 Pac-10) at Husky Ballpark on Saturday to even a three-game series between the clubs. Cardinal reliever Dan Rich earned his first victory since 1999, posting new career-highs with six strikeouts and 4.2 innings pitched. Stanford trailed the entire game before tying the contest with two runs in the top of the seventh and taking its first lead on a one-out RBI single by Arik VanZandt in the top of the eighth inning. Stanford added four insurance runs in the top of the ninth. The victory was the 13th time in 27 wins this season that the Cardinal has come from behind to win.
"This was a big win, and I was pleased with the way our team battled back," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "Dan Rich had a phenomenal outing and came up big for us."
The teams will play the rubber game of the series on Sunday (1 pm, PT) in a contest the Cardinal needs to win to extend its regular season series win streak to 13. Stanford remained 1.5 games behind first-place USC (8-3 Pac-10) after the Trojans won 15-3 at Washington State on Saturday. Stanford's victory was its 19th in the last 24 games overall and its ninth in the last 10 meetings with Washington.
Rich allowed just three hits and did not walk a batter after relieving Mark Jecmen with one out in the bottom of the fifth. He did not allow a Husky runner past first base over the final four innings.
"I was surprised that I was able to go that long," said Rich, who missed most of last season with an injury and struggled as a sophomore after a promising freshman campaign. "It's nice to be throwing the ball well and putting everything back together."
Rich lowered his ERA to 1.12 and has given up just two earned runs in 16.0 innings this season with 19 strikeouts.
Jason Cooper (3-4, 2 2B) and Ryan Garko (3-5, RBI) led a Stanford offense that collected 17 hits to reach double figures for the 26th time in 36 games this season. Carlos Quentin (2-4, 2 RBI), Sam Fuld (2-4), Brian Hall (2-5, 3B, 2 RBI) and VanZandt (2-5, RBI) had two hits each as all nine Cardinal starters had at least one hit.
"Pitching kept us in the game and we owed it to them to score some runs," said Hall about Stanford's late offensive outburst.
Chris O'Riordan extended his hit streak to 10 games, one shy of his career-high, with a single to lead off the top of the ninth inning. O'Riordan (1-4, RBI, HBP) also reached base for the 36th consecutive game this season and remained on top of Stanford's career batting average with a .363 lifetime mark.
Aaron Hathaway (3-4, 2B, 4 RBI) led the Husky offense, while Tyler Davidson (2-4) had a two-hit game.
The game was tied 4-4 before Hall started Stanford's eighth inning with a leadoff single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Andy Topham and scored on VanZandt's RBI single.O'Riordan started Stanford's four-run ninth with a single and moved to third on a single by Cooper. Quentin followed with a sacrifice fly to score O'Riordan and give the Cardinal a 6-4 lead. Garko singled to set up a two-RBI triple off the left field fence by Hall, who scored the final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly from Topham.
Stanford had trailed 4-2 before tying the game with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning. Fuld was hit by a pitch with one out and scored on an RBI triple by Danny Putnam down the right field line. Putnam scored on an RBI groundout by O'Riordan.
Washington scored the game's first run in the bottom of the second inning when Jay Garthwaite led off with a single, moved to second on a walk to Michael Done and scored on an RBI single by Hathaway. The Cardinal avoided further damage when Tim Cunningham retired the final three batters in a row after the Huskies had loaded the bases with a run already in and no outs.
Washington increased its lead to 3-0 by adding two more runs in the bottom of the third inning. Davidson was hit by a pitch to lead off the rally before John Otness singled to chase Cunningham. The Huskies loaded the bases after a fielders choice and another hit by pitch by reliever Mark Jecmen before Hathaway doubled down the right field line to score a pair of Husky runs. Washington reloaded the bases when Greg Isaacson drew a walk before Jecmen retired the final two batters to get the Cardinal out of the jam.
Stanford cut the Washington lead to 3-2 with two runs in the top of the fourth inning. O'Riordan was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and moved to third base when Cooper doubled to right field. Quentin singled home O'Riordan for the first Stanford run before an RBI single by Garko scored Cooper. Washington starter Sean White stopped the Cardinal rally by retiring the next three Stanford hitters in order.
Washington got one run back in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI single by Hathaway before stranding runners on second and third base.
Washington left 10 runners on base in the first three innings and 12 for the game, while the Cardinal stranded nine.
"We got out of a lot of big spots today," said Marquess. "They had a chance to break the game open early, but they didn't."
White left the contest with a 4-2 lead after scattering seven hits and two runs over the first 6.0 innings.
Cunningham allowed three runs, three hits, three walks and hit two batters before being removed with no outs in the bottom of the third inning.