Feb. 1, 2004
Stanford, Calif. - No. 6 Stanford (3-0) completed a season-opening three-game sweep of No. 4 Cal State Fullerton (0-3) with a 4-1 non-conference win over the Titans on Super Bowl Sunday at Sunken Diamond. Jed Lowrie (2-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI) hit his first career home run and tied a career-high with three RBI, while Danny Putnam (2-4) and Jonny Ash (2-4) also had two hits each for the Cardinal. Mark Jecmen (1-0) picked up the victory, allowing just one run and three hits with three strikeouts over a career-high 5.0 innings, while Jeff Gillmore tossed a career-high 4.0 scoreless one-hit innings to earn his first career save. Adam Sorgi also contributed his second key hit in as many days with a two-out RBI double to snap a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning and put the Cardinal ahead to stay.
The win was Stanford's fifth in a row over Cal State Fullerton dating back to a pair of victories over the Titans in a 2003 College World Series bracket final in Omaha. The victory also increased Stanford's home win streak to 12 games dating back to last year, while the Cardinal swept its first three-game series of the season for the first time since also sweeping the Titans at Sunken Diamond from February 4-6, 2000.
"Any time you win three from a team like Cal State Fullerton, you have to be very pleased," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess.
Cal State Fullerton scored its only run of the game in the top of the second inning. Brett Pill singled with one out to start the rally and moved to second base when Jake Mendrin drew a walk before Neil Walton was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Jecmen steadied and got out of the jam by retiring Bobby Andrews on a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Phil and striking out Ronnie Prettyman.
Jecmen and Gilmore would blank the Titans the rest of the way. Jecmen allowed just two runners and one hit after the second inning, retiring 10 of the final 12 batters he faced. Gilmore allowed just one runner to reach second base and faced only two batters over the minimum in his stint.
"That was a great pitching performance by both Mark Jecmen and Jeff Gilmore," offered Marquess of his two pitchers that combined to throw just 11.0 innings all of last season. "To have just two pitchers go all nine innings this early in the season is great."
Stanford tied the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth on a solo homer by Lowrie over the right field fence.
"I got some pitches to hit today and was able to drive in some runs," said Lowrie, who started in the cleanup spot for the first time in his career. "It felt good to finally get that first home run off my back."
The Cardinal took the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Lucy beat out a two-out infield single and Sorgi came through with an RBI double down the right field line on the eighth pitch of his at bat against Cal State Fullerton starting pitcher and loser Lauren Gagnier (0-1), who allowed four runs and seven hits with two strikeouts over 5.0 innings in his first collegiate outing.
"He battles really well," said Marquess of Sorgi, who also had a key pinch-hit single in his first collegiate at bat Saturday to tie the game in an eventual 8-7 Cardinal win over Cal State Fullerton. "He knows the game and plays it like an experienced player."
Stanford added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth. Ash beat out a bunt single to lead off the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch before Putnam singled him to third, chasing Gagnier. Lowrie then greeted reliever Mike Martinez by hitting a fly ball to medium deep left field that dropped in for a double when Titan leftfielder Felipe Garcia fell down while chasing the ball, scoring both Ash and Putnam.
Martinez would get out of the sixth inning without any further damage and struck out three while allowing just three hits in 3.0 scoreless innings.
Pill (2-3) and P.J. Pilittere (2-4) combined for all four of Cal State Fullerton's hits.Stanford will next be in action at Fresno State in a three-game series Friday-Sunday, February 6-8 (6:35, 1:05, 1:05 pm).