May 4, 2003
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
Stanford, Calif. - No. 9 Stanford (31-14, 13-5 Pac-10) stayed in first place in the Pac-10 by winning both ends of a doubleheader versus USC (25-22, 9-9 Pac-10) by identical 8-3 scores on Sunday at Dedeaux Field to conclude a three-game sweep of the Trojans. Ryan Garko (4-4, 2 HR, 7 RBI, SB) hit a pair of homers, including his first career grandslam in the first inning, drove in a career-high seven runs and tied a career-high with four hits in the nightcap. Mark Romanczuk (9-0) picked up his Pac-10 leading ninth victory with a complete-game three-hitter in the opener. Stanford gained a game and a half on idle Arizona State (10-5 Pac-10, 1.5 GB) with the series sweep and picked up one game on Arizona (11-7 Pac-10, 2.0 GB), who won two-of-three versus California but fell 12-7 in 10 innings to the Golden Bears on Sunday.
"I had this series circled on my calendar," said Garko, a native of Walnut in Southern California. "I'm glad I could play so well in my last regular season collegiate series near my home."
Stanford extended its season-best road win streak to 10 games and has now won four consecutive doubleheaders dating back to 2001. Stanford also finished its regular season series versus USC with five wins in six games and has beaten the Trojans 12 times in the last 14 meetings between the teams over the past two seasons and 13 of 15 overall dating back to their last meeting of 2001.
Garko finished the doubleheader 6-for-7 with two homers, nine RBI and a stolen base. For the three-game series, he was 10-for-13 (.769) with two doubles, three homers, 12 RBI and a stolen base. Garko now has a career-high 64 RBI on the season and his 13 homers are one shy of his career-high of 14 set last year. He also raised his batting average to .393.
"You can't get too high when you're going well or too low when you're not," reasoned Garko. "I'm just happy that I swung the bat well in this series."
Romanczuk allowed just three hits in the opener, the fewest by a Cardinal pitcher in a complete game effort this season, as he went the distance for the second time this year. Romanczuk did not give up a run and allowed only hit after the second inning, a leadoff single by Jon Brewster in the top of the seventh.
In the nightcap, Stanford starter Matt Manship (2-3) picked up the victory in his first collegiate start. Manship lasted a career-long 7.2 innings, scattering three runs on eight hits with three strikeouts. David O'Hagan retired all four batters he faced with one strikeout over the final 1.1 innings.
"We got two great pitching performances from two freshman pitchers in Mark Romanczuk and Matt Manship," commented Stanford head coach Mark Marquess.
Carlos Quentin (2-4, 2B) had his 22nd double of the season in the nightcap and now ranks tied for fourth on Stanford's single-season list in that category.
Danny Putnam's hit streak ended at 10 games after he went hitless (0-4) in the nightcap.Jeff Clement (2-4) was the only USC player with more than one hit in the nightcap. Michael Moon (1-4, HR, 2 RBI) had a two-run homer for the Trojans.
USC starter Bobby Paschal (3-5) took the loss in the second game, allowing seven runs and seven hits over the first 5.0 innings.
In the nightcap, Garko's first inning grandslam over the left field wall came after three consecutive singles by Sam Fuld, Jonny Ash and Quentin loaded the bases for the Stanford's cleanup hitter.
Garko gave the Cardinal two more runs with his two-run blast down the left field line with one out in the top of the third that also scored Ash, who had led off the inning with a walk.Stanford increased its lead to 7-0 with another run in the top of the fourth inning when John Mayberry, Jr. and Tobin Swope led off with back-to-back singles, moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Fuld before Mayberry scored on a sacrifice fly by Ash.
USC scored its first runs of the nightcap in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run, two-out homer by Moon to cut the Cardinal lead to 7-2. Ryan Broderick, who had started the rally by beating out an infield single with two outs, also scored on the homer.
Stanford picked up a run in the top of the seventh inning when Quentin doubled with one out and scored on an RBI single up the middle by Garko.
USC made the final score 8-3 with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning when Jason Filarey walked, moved to second on a pinch-hit single by Baron Frost, third on a groundball double play hit by Moon and scored on a wild pitch from Manship.
USC left 11 runners on base in the second game, while the Cardinal stranded six.
In the first game, Fuld (4-5, 3B, 2 RBI) had his 13th career four-hit game (fourth of the season) and scored a season-high four runs to lead a 16-hit Stanford attack. Six Stanford players - Garko (2-3, 2B, 2 RBI), Putnam (2-4, RBI), Swope (2-4, 3B), Quentin (2-5, RBI), Mayberry (2-5, RBI) and Jed Lowrie (2-5) - added two hits each.
USC did not have a player with more than one hit in the first game but Darin Vieira drove in a pair of runs.
USC starter Brian Bannister (5-5) suffered the loss in the opener, allowing five runs and 11 hits in the first 5.0 innings.
Stanford struck first in the opener with a run in the top of the first when Fuld singled to lead off the game, moved to second on a groundout, third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single by Putnam.
USC came back with a run in its half of the first to tie the score, 1-1. Moon singled to lead off the inning and Anthony Lunetta walked to put Trojans on first and second. A groundball by Clement moved the runners to second and third before Moon scored on a balk by Romanczuk.
Stanford scored three runs in the top of the second to establish a 4-1 advantage. Mayberry started the rally with a one-out single and moved to second on a single by Swope before both runners scored on a two-RBI triple by Fuld, his team co-leading sixth three-bagger of the year. Quentin brought home Fuld when he beat out an RBI infield single.
USC responded with two runs in the bottom of the second to cut Stanford's lead to 4-3, scoring twice on a two-out, two-RBI single by Vieira. The Trojan rally started when Spencer Gordon and Travis McAndrews drew back-to-back one out walks before moving to second and third on a passed ball by Garko.
The score remained 4-3 until Stanford picked up a run in the top of the fifth when Garko singled, moved to second on a wild pitch, third on a single by Lowrie and scored on an RBI single from Mayberry.
Stanford added another run in the sixth when Fuld singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ash and third on Quentin's second infield single of the game before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Garko.
Stanford picked up two unearned runs in the top of the eighth for the final 8-3 margin. Fuld again started the rally with a one-out single, moved to second on a groundout by Ash and scored on a fielding error by Gordon on a pop-up to shallow left field by Quentin. Garko finished the game's scoring with an RBI double to plate Quentin.
Stanford stranded 10 runners in the opener, while the Trojans left only three on base.Stanford continues its season-long seven-game road trip next week with a non-conference game at San Jose State (Tuesday, May 6, 7 pm) before resuming Pac-10 action with a three-game series at California (Friday-Sunday, May 9-11, 2:30 pm, 1 pm, 1 pm).