March 29, 2003
Stanford, Calif. - No. 8 Stanford (17-9, 3-2 Pac-10) rebounded with a 10-6 win over No. 24 Washington (19-8, 1-1 Pac-10) to even the three-game series on Saturday at Sunken Diamond with rubber game set for Sunday (1:00 pm, PT). Stanford needs a victory Sunday to extend its series win streak to six. The Cardinal rallied from a 4-2 deficit Saturday by scoring twice in the seventh inning to tie the score before exploding for six runs in the bottom of the eighth. The victory kept the Cardinal one-half game behind league leader UCLA (16-15, 2-0 Pac-10), a 7-5 winner Saturday over Arizona (21-10, 2-3 Pac-10). The Cardinal won for the 14th time in its last 18 games and the ninth time in its last 11 contests at Sunken Diamond. Washington lost for just the second time in its last 17 contests.
"I'm pleased that we finally put some hits together at the end of the game today," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess in reference to his team that had left 16 runners on base over a nine-inning stretch prior to the seventh and eighth frames Saturday. "We've had a lot of runners on base in the series and could have scored a lot more runs had we picked up the big hits like we did in our last two at bats today."
Washington picked up a pair of runs in the top of the ninth and had the bases loaded with the tying run at the plate and no outs before reliever Kodiak Quick earned his third save of the season by striking out a pair of batters and retiring Aaron Hathaway on a fielders choice to end the game.
John Mayberry, Jr. (3-4, 2B, 2 RBI), Sam Fuld (3-5, 2B, RBI) and Jed Lowrie (3-5) had three hits each for Stanford. Tobin Swope (2-5, 3 RBI) equaled a career-high with three RBI, while Ryan Garko (2-4) and Carlos Quentin (2-5, 2B, RBI) had two hits each.
Quentin extended his career-high hit streak to 14, while Fuld's reached 11.
Stanford's 19 hits were one shy of equaling its season-high and marked the 10th straight contest the Cardinal has reached double-digits in hits. All nine Stanford starters had at least one hit to raise the club's season batting average to .319.
Washington's John Otness (4-4, 2B) had four hits, while Tila Reynolds (3-5, 2 SB) and Chad Boudon (2-4, HR, 2 RBI) also had multiple-hit games for the Huskies with Boudon homering for the second straight day. Hathaway also homered and drove in a pair of runs. Eight of the nine starters in the Husky lineup had at least one hit.
David O'Hagan (3-1) picked up the victory in relief of Stanford starter Ryan McCally, scattering two runs (one earned) and two hits with two strikeouts over 2.0 innings. McCally allowed four runs and 11 hits over the first 6.0 innings.
David Dowling (5-1), the first of four Washington relievers, suffered his first loss of the season by allowing three runs and four hits in 1.1 innings. Husky starter Jeff Petersen left with a 4-2 lead but received no decision, allowing two runs and scattering nine hits.
Washington got on the scoreboard in the second inning when Mike Wagner doubled to lead off the inning, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out RBI single by Boudon.
Stanford took a 2-1 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth when Jonny Ash bounced a two-RBI single up the middle to score Danny Putnam and Mayberry, who had led off the inning with back-to-back singles.
Stanford's 2-1 advantage held up until a couple of long balls gave the Huskies three runs in the top of the sixth and a 4-2 lead. Taylor Johnson started a two-out rally with a single, stole second base and then scored on Hathaway's second homer of the season over the left field wall. On the next pitch, Boudon connected on a deep drive over the scoreboard in left field.McCally was relieved by O'Hagan after he allowed a single to Reynolds, who stole second base with one out and moved to third on a throwing error by Garko on the play before O'Hagan retired Kyle Larsen and Wagner to keep the Cardinal within striking distance.
Stanford responded by tying the game 4-4 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh. Garko led off with a single, moved all the way to third base on a pair of wild pitches and scored on Mayberry's double high off the wall in left field. Swope tied the score when he singled with two outs to score Mayberry.
"We were able to bunch our hits late in the game," said Mayberry. "That's what it's all about, and that's how you score runs. When you keep getting guys on base eventually you're going to have a big inning and come up with some clutch hits like we did today."
Fuld started Stanford's six-run eighth with a leadoff double off Dowling and Brian Hall's sacrifice bunt attempt turned into a base hit when it stopped inside the third base line to give the Cardinal runners on first and third with no outs. Quentin put the Cardinal ahead to stay with an RBI double to score Fuld and Garko was intentionally walked to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Donny Lucy came through with an RBI single to score Hall and Mayberry followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Quentin. Swope followed two batters later with a two-RBI single to score Garko and Lucy. Fuld finished the rally with his second hit of the inning, a two-out RBI single to score Swope.
"We did a good job today," said Swope. "We had some chances early in the game where we didn't come through in big spots, but we stayed at it, kept getting guys on base and came through with big hits in the late innings."
The first five Washington batters in the top of the ninth reached safely. Otness doubled to lead off the frame and a two-base throwing error by Ash on a ground ball to third base by Brent Lillibridge gave the Huskies runners on second and third with no outs. Reynolds followed with an RBI single to score Otness and O'Hagan hit Greg Isaacson on a 1-2 pitch to load the bases before he was relieved by Quick. Quick gave up a single to Larsen to score Lillibridge before striking out Wagner and Johnson, and retiring Hathaway on a fielders choice to secure Stanford's victory.
"I enjoy pitching in tough situations," said Quick, who also earned a save by getting out of a bases loaded jam in his previous outing at Arizona State last Sunday. "It's sort of nerve wracking, but I'm getting fairly used to it."
Stanford stranded 13 runners, while Washington left nine on base.
Quentin leads Stanford with a .378 overall batting average.
Fuld has been the team's hottest hitter in March, going 25-for-49 (.510) during nine games this month to raise his career batting average to .362 and reclaim a share of the team's top career batting average with a .362 lifetime mark. Fuld started the season on top of Stanford's all-time list with a career average of .367.
Stanford LHP Mark Romanczuk (6-0, 3.21) and Washington RHP Trevor Gibson (3-0, 1.47) are scheduled to square off in Sunday's series finale.
"It's early in the season, but we want to win every series," said Swope. "We obviously want to win every game also but once you lose a game in the series, you've got to be sure to win the series. It's a big swing whether you win or lose the series."
"It should be a good pitching matchup tomorrow with two guys who are throwing very well right now," added Marquess.