March 22, 2003
Tempe, Ariz. - Dennis Wyrick's two-out bases loaded RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning scored Dustin Pedroia with the game-winning run to lift No. 3 Arizona State (32-3, 1-0 Pac-10) to a dramatic 7-6 victory over No. 7 Stanford (14-8, 0-1 Pac-10) in a four-hour and twelve minute Pac-10 opener for both teams Saturday evening at Packard Stadium. Wyrick, who also had a key two-run triple in the sixth inning, finished the game 3-for-6 with three RBI. Stanford's Brian Hall (4-6, 3 RBI) tied a career-high with four hits, while John Mayberry, Jr. extended his career-high hit streak to 15 games with a ninth inning triple. The loss snapped Stanford's five-game win streak.
Arizona State reliever Ryan Schroyer (4-0) picked up the victory with 3.0 scoreless innings to close out the game, while Stanford reliever Matt Manship (0-2) suffered the loss despite striking out a career-high six in 3.2 innings.
Manship walked Pedroia to lead off the bottom of the 11th and then committed a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt by Travis Buck that left Arizona State runners on first and second with no outs. Jeff Larish sacrificed the runners to second and third off reliever David O'Hagan with one out. O'Hagan struck out Jeremy West for the second out before hitting Andre Either on the first pitch to load the bases and set up Wyrick's game-winning single that trickled off Jed Lowrie's glove down the third baseline.
Buck (3-4, 2 RBI, SB) also had three hits for the Sun Devils, while Pedroia (2-4) and Rod Allen (2-4) added two hits each.
Tobin Swope (2-4, RBI, SB) and Lowrie (2-5, RBI) had two hits each for Stanford. Swope also tied a career-high with three runs scored.
Stanford jumped out to a 5-0 lead after five and a half innings, scoring twice in the top of the fifth and three more times in the sixth.
The Cardinal got on the board in the fifth when Swope led off with a single and scored on an RBI double by Chris Lewis. Lowrie reached on a fielding error by Arizona State second baseman Steve Garrabrants to move Lewis to third base before Hall singled home Lewis. The Cardinal loaded the bases with no outs and two runs already across the plate before Arizona State reliever Beau Vaughan came on in relief of starter Erik Averill to force Carlos Quentin into a 1-2-3 doubleplay and strike out Ryan Garko.
Stanford scored three runs in the top of the sixth. Donny Lucy started the rally with a one-out double and scored on an RBI single by Swope. After Swope stole second and Lewis followed with a walk, Lowrie singled home Swope before Hall capped the rally with his second consecutive RBI single to score Lewis.
Arizona State came back with three runs of its own in the bottom of the sixth to cut Stanford's lead to 5-3. The Sun Devils loaded the bases when Stanford starter John Hudgins allowed a one out walk to Buck, a single by Larish and hit West. Ethier followed with a sacrifice fly to score Buck before Wyrick's key two-out, two-RBI triple down the right field line brought home Larish and West.
The Sun Devils tied the score at 5-5 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh. Allen started the rally with a leadoff single to chase Hudgins. Reliever Kodiak Quick retired the first batter he faced before giving up back-to-back singles to Pedroia and Buck to score Allen. After intentionally walking Larish, Quick was relieved by Manship, who allowed an RBI groundout to West before striking out Either to get the Cardinal out of the inning.
Stanford responded with a run in the top of the eighth when Swope led off with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lewis and scored with two outs on Hall's third consecutive RBI single.
Arizona State quickly tied the score at 6-6 with a run in the bottom of the eighth when Buck beat out a two-out bases loaded high chopper to second base for an infield single to score Joe Bocchi, who was hit by a pitch with one out to start the rally that also included a single by Allen and a walk to Pedroia.
Hudgins earned no decision by scattering four runs and six hits with five strikeouts over the first 6.0 innings, marking the eighth consecutive start that this season he has lasted at least 6.0 innings.
Arizona State starter Erik Averill was touched for seven hits and two runs before being removed after 4.0 innings of work. Vaughn struck out seven in 3.2 innings of relief but was touched for four runs and five hits.
Quentin (10), Hall (6), Swope (6) and Sam Fuld (6) all extended hit streaks for the Cardinal, while Ryan Garko had a six-game hit streak snapped.
Stanford's 13 hits marked the sixth straight game the team has had double-digits in hits.Mayberry's triple was his sixth of the season and puts him over halfway to Stanford's single season record of 10 set by Jack Shepard in 1953.
The clubs continue their three-game series Sunday (1 pm, MT) and Monday (4:30 pm, MT).