April 29, 2003
Stanford, Calif. - Santa Clara (25-22) handed No. 9 Stanford (28-14) its first shutout of the season with a 2-0 victory over the Cardinal in a non-conference game at Sunken Diamond on Tuesday. The Broncos also snapped a five-game losing streak against Stanford and won for just the second time in the last 27 meetings between the schools dating back to 1997. Eight Santa Clara pitchers limited Stanford to a season-low four hits and the Broncos' pitching staff survived eight walks and two wild pitches over the first five innings as the Cardinal stranded six runners in the first five frames and 10 for the game.
Santa Clara scored the only two runs of the game by either team in the top of the third inning after two were out off Stanford starter and losing pitcher Tim Cunningham (1-3), who faced the minimum six batters in the first two innings. Jason Matteucci started the third inning off with a single but was erased on a fielders choice by David Mandley. After striking out Michael Lange, Cunningham hit Scott Dierks and allowed an RBI single to Jack Headley for the first Bronco run. Dierks would score all the way from first on the play after the ball glanced off the glove off Stanford centerfielder Sam Fuld as he was attempting to make a play on Mandley at the plate.
Ryan Chiarelli (2-3) and Matteucci (2-4) had two hits each for the Broncos.
The Cardinal was held to a season-low four hits but Danny Putnam did hit a double, the only extra-base hit of the contest, in the sixth inning to extend his career-high hit streak to eight games.
Stanford was shut out for the first time in the last 61 games with San Jose State the last team to blank the Cardinal when the Spartans were a 12-0 winner in San Jose on May 1, 2002. Stanford's four hits were the team's least since the Cardinal also managed only four at Oregon State on April 26, 2002.
Santa Clara starter Scott Shaprio (1-1) was the first of eight Bronco pitchers and was credited with the victory, holding the Cardinal hitless with three walks. Patrick Overholt pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his eighth save of the season. Patrick McBride (1.0 IP), Andrew Slorp (2.0 IP, 5 BB), Matt Krueger (0.1 IP, 1 H), Thomas Van Buskirk (0.2 IP, 2 SO), Anthony Rea (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 SO) and Chad Fillinger (1.0 IP) also pitched for Santa Clara.
Overholt allowed a leadoff single to Donny Lucy and a two-out single to pinch-hitter John Mayberry, Jr. in the bottom of the ninth before retiring Fuld as the potential winning run on a ground ball to second base to end the game.
In the bottom of the fourth, Stanford drew a pair of walks and benefited from a pair of wild pitches to put baserunners on second and third base with one out before a fielders choice double play ended the threat. On the play, Brian Hall hit a comebacker to Slorp on the mound. Putnam, who had walked with one out to start the rally, got caught in a rundown between third base and home. After three throws in the rundown, Slorp chased Putnam back to third base, where Lucy had also advanced from second. Slorp then tagged Lucy for the second out of the inning and when Putnam took a step off third, Slorp also tagged him to end the inning.
Stanford also had a runner reach as far as second base in the second, fifth and sixth innings.
Stanford relievers Kodiak Quick (2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 SO), Mark Jecmen (2.0 IP, 1 BB), Billy Paganetti (1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB) and David O'Hagan (0.2 IP) held Santa Clara scoreless over the final 6.1 innings.
Stanford, who has won a season-best seven straight games on the road, will begin a season-long seven-game road trip with a key three-game Pac-10 series at USC this Friday-Sunday, May 2-4 (6 pm, 1 pm, 1 pm). Stanford (10-5 Pac-10) enters the series tied for first-place in the Pac-10 standings with Arizona State. USC and Arizona are both one game behind the leaders with 9-6 conference marks.