March 7, 2003
Stanford, Calif. - John Mayberry, Jr. (4-5, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI) had his first career-four hit game and extended his hit streak to 12 games to lead No. 7 Stanford (12-7) to an 11-2 victory over California (11-6) in the opening game of a non-conference series at Sunken Diamond on Friday. John Hudgins (4-1) pitched his first complete game of the year and fourth of his career to earn the victory, striking out nine while scattering seven hits and allowing just two runs. Stanford won its third straight game overall and defeated the Golden Bears for the fifth consecutive time dating back to last season.
"I'm seeing the ball really well and able to recognize pitches," said Mayberry. "I'm seeing good pitches to hit and putting good swings on them."
"John's emergence has given our offense a lift, but he has been consistent from day one" added Stanford head coach Mark Marquess about the freshman first baseman who has hit safely in 18 of 19 games to begin his collegiate career.
Mayberry's two-RBI triple in the bottom of the eighth inning was his fifth of the season, which already puts him halfway to the single-season school record of 10 that was set a half-century ago by Jack Shepard in 1953.
California starter Matt Brown (1-2) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs and six hits in the first 4.0 innings.
The Golden Bears committed all four of their errors in the first four innings as Stanford jumped out to a 7-2 lead, scoring three unearned runs off Brown.
"They gave us a lot, but we took advantage of it," said Marquess. "We also got a great pitching performance from John Hudgins, played good defense and had some excellent timely hitting."
Stanford's Brian Hall (2-4, 2B, 3B, RBI) and Sam Fuld (2-4, RBI, SB) added two hits each. Tobin Swope set a new career-high with three stolen bases, while Carlos Quentin stole a pair of bases for the first time in his career as the Cardinal stole a season-high seven bases in 10 attempts.
Chris Grossman (2-4, HR, 2 RBI) accounted for both California runs with a second inning homer over the left field wall and was the only Golden Bear with more than one hit.
Stanford scored twice in the bottom of the first to take an early 2-0 lead. Hall was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Fuld doubled to put runners on second and third. Carlos Quentin followed with an RBI single to score Hall and extend his hit streak to a season-high seven games. Ryan Garko then drove home Fuld with a sacrifice fly, raising his RBI total to 23 in the team's first 19 games.
California briefly tied the score at 2-2 on Grossman's two-run shot in the second inning before the Cardinal scored nine unanswered runs.
Stanford picked up an unearned run in the bottom of the second to take a 3-2 lead when Swope reached on an error, stole second and moved to third base on a throwing error by California catcher Matt Einspahr, before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Jed Lowrie.
Stanford added another run in the bottom of the third when Garko singled with one out, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single by Mayberry.
Stanford broke the game open with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, the final two scoring when California third baseman Conor Jackson dropped a two-out pop-up by Quentin that would have ended the inning. Stanford had scored its first run when Swope led off with a single, stole second and third base, and scored on an RBI single by Fuld.
The Cardinal put up a run for the fifth straight inning in the bottom of the fifth when Mayberry, Jr. greeted California reliever Adam Gold with a double to lead off the frame and eventually scored on a bases loaded walk to Hall.
Stanford's final three runs came in the bottom of the eighth. Hall tripled with one out and scored on a wild pitch for the first run of the inning. Quentin restarted the rally with a walk, pinch-hitter Jonny Ash kept the inning alive with a two-out pinch-hit single and both runners scored on Mayberry's two-out, two-run triple.
Stanford improved to 38-7 at Sunken Diamond over the last two years with the victory.
Stanford and California will continue the series with single games on Saturday and Sunday, both scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm. Stanford needs just one victory to pick up its fourth straight series victory.