Feb. 2, 2003
Fullerton, Calif. - No. 13 Cal State Fullerton (3-0) completed a three-game sweep of No. 3 Stanford (2-3) with an 8-2 victory in the series finale played before a crowd of 2238 on Sunday afternoon at Goodwin Field. Stanford had not been swept in its last 77 regular season three-game series since Arizona State won three straight over the Cardinal at Sunken Diamond from April 11-13, 1997. The three-game series drew 8194 fans to set a new Goodwin Field three-game series record.
"Cal State Fullerton just outplayed us in every phase of the game during this series," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "We felt coming into this series that Cal State Fullerton was definitely one of the top 10 teams in the country and they showed it this weekend."
Titan starter Dustin Miller (1-0) earned the victory in his collegiate debut, holding the Cardinal to one run and four hits with four strikeouts over the first 6.0 innings. Ricky Romero tossed 2.0 scoreless innings of one-hit relief before Stanford managed a run in the top of the ninth off All-American reliever Chad Cordero.
Cal State Fullerton's Sergio Pedroza (2-3, 3B, 2 RBI) and P.J. Pilittere (2-4, 2B, RBI) had two hits each for the Titans, while Danny Dorn (1-3, HR, 3 RBI) had a key three-run homer.Danny Putnam (2-4, 2 2B) had the first two-double game of his career, while Carlos Quentin (2-3, 2B) had a pair of hits for the Cardinal.
Cal State Fullerton jumped out to an early 6-0 lead with six runs in the bottom of the second inning. A three-run homer by Dorn over the right field fence put the Titans ahead 3-0. After the second error of the inning by the Cardinal infield two batters later, an RBI triple by Pedroza scored Pilittere with the fourth run of the frame. Justin Smyers followed with an RBI single to drive in Pedroza before a two-out RBI single by Shane Costa scored Smyers to finish the Titan rally.
Stanford got on the scoreboard when Sam Fuld hit his first home run of the season with two outs in the top of the fifth inning, a solo shot that easily cleared the wall down the right field line.
The Titans answered back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to increase their lead to 8-1. A two-out double by Pilittere brought home Dorn with the first run before Pedroza followed with an RBI single to score Pilittere. The rally had started when Dorn was hit by a McCally pitch with one out and advanced to second when Justin Turner was thrown out while attempting to reach on a drag bunt.
Stanford scored a run in the top of the ninth off Cordero when Putnam led off the inning with a double and scored on an RBI single by John Mayberry, Jr.
Stanford starter Ryan McCally (0-1) suffered the defeat, allowing eight runs (four earned) and seven hits with five strikeouts over the first 5.2 innings of his second career start. Mark Romanczuk made an impressive collegiate debut finishing the game in relief of McCally, allowing just one hit and striking out four in 2.1 scoreless innings.
Stanford will host No. 4 Florida State in a three-game series next Friday-Sunday, February 7-9 (6, 1, 1 pm). Stanford has won 10 straight games at Sunken Diamond dating back to last season.