May 31, 2003
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) -- Danny Putnam hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning as Stanford defeated UC Riverside 13-6 in the winner's bracket of the Stanford NCAA regional on Saturday.
Chris Carter and Ryan Garko also homered and Sam Fuld extended his hitting streak to a career high 16 games with three hits as Stanford (43-15) advanced to Sunday's championship game having to be beaten twice.
Brian Steinmeyer and Ryan Harvey hit home runs for Riverside (41-16), which played a later elimination game against Richmond to determine Stanford's next opponent.
John Hudgins (10-3) survived a shaky start to win his third straight start. After giving up four runs in the first, he pitched three-hit ball the rest of the way. Hudgins gave up six runs on seven hits overall with a season-high 12 strikeouts and two walks.
A.J. Shappi (11-3) lost for the second time in three starts after giving up a season-high 10 runs on 12 hits over seven-plus innings. He struck out three and walked two.
Jason Collette's three-run triple gave the Highlanders their early 4-1 edge. Matt Cunningham added an RBI single.
Carlos Quentin's sacrifice fly in the top of the first gave the Cardinal a 1-0 lead.
Stanford tied the game at 4-4 with three runs in the fourth. Carter walked with the bases loaded, Jed Lowrie singled home a run and Brian Hall, who has a career-high 10-game hitting streak, drove in a run with an infield groundout.
Steinmeyer hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot to lead off the fourth, to give Riverside a 5-4 lead.
After Garko doubled home the tying run in the fifth, Putnam followed with his 12th homer of the season. Carter made it 8-5 with his fifth homer one batter later.
Hudgins retired 10 in a row before Harvey's ninth homer of the year made it 8-6.
Stanford added three runs in the eighth, two on Fuld's single. Jonny Ash also singled home a run.
Garko hit his team-high 16th homer in the ninth.