April 23, 2004
Updated Season Stats
Stanford Baseball Tickets
Stanford, Calif. - No. 2 Stanford (31-5) pounded out a season-high 21 hits and Mark Romanczuk picked up his eighth victory of the season as the Cardinal ran its win streak to seven games with a 15-1 victory over Sacramento State (22-27) in a non-conference game at Sunken Diamond on Friday. Brian Hall (3-6, 2 2B, RBI) extended his career-high hit streak to 21 games in the contest, while Donny Lucy (4-4, HR, 2 RBI) had his first career four-hit game and ran his career-high hit streak to 12. John Mayberry, Jr. (3-4, HR, 4 RBI) hit his 10th homer of the season and drove in a season-high-tying four runs, while Sam Fuld (2-5) and Danny Putnam (2-3, 3B, 3B, RBI) also extended their current hit streaks to a season-high 12 games and nine, respectively. Chris Carter (3-3, 2 2B, RBI) added his first three-hit game of the season, while Jed Lowrie (2-6, 2B, HR, RBI) hit his team and Pac-10 leading 12th homer and drove in his 50th run of the year. Jim Rapoport and John Hester contributed a pair of RBI each.
"We got a good pitching performance from Mark Romanczuk and obviously hit the ball well," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "It was also good to get some guys that have worked so hard into the game and get them some at bats, because we probably will need them in the second half of the league season."
The 2004 club became only the second Stanford team in 111 years of baseball on The Farm to win 31 of its first 36 games. The 1967 squad was 31-4-1 in its first 36 contests before finishing the season with a 36-6-2 mark and a third-place showing at the College World Series.
Romanczuk allowed only a second inning run and four hits, while striking out seven in a season-high-tying 8.0 innings. He retired the side-in-order in the third, fourth and fifth innings, setting down 14 consecutive batters at one point.
"I felt I had some of the best stuff I've had all year," said Romanczuk, who lowered his ERA to 3.82 and won for the fifth time in his last six decisions. "I think I did two really good things tonight by getting ahead of hitters and being able to put guys away. This was my biggest start of the season and hopefully one that will catapult me into the last five Pac-10 games and the postseason."
Romanczuk improved his career record at Stanford to 20-3 and now ranks fourth all-time at Stanford with an .870 career winning percentage.
Stanford jumped out in front in the bottom of the first inning when Lowrie and Mayberry blasted back-to-back two-out solo homers, marking the third time this season the Cardinal has hit back-to-back homers.
Sacramento State came back with its only run of the game in the top of the second when Brett Flowers drew a leadoff walk. Andy Hnilo then singled to put runners on first and second before a sacrifice bunt by Pedro Santiago moved the runners up to second and third and a sacrifice fly from Bret LeVier plated Flowers.
Stanford would score the final 13 runs of the game, putting up multiple runs in six of its eight trips to the plate, including the first frame.
Fuld started a one-out rally in the second with a single and moved to third on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt by Sacramento State starter and losing pitcher Marshall Hendon (1-3), who allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks in 2.0 innings. Hall followed with an RBI single to drive in Fuld. Lowrie then doubled to put Cardinal runners on second and third before an RBI single by Mayberry plated both runners.
Stanford scored two more runs in the third. Lucy and Carter started the inning with back-to-back singles before a walk to Chris Minaker loaded the bases. Rapoport then pinch-hit for starter Ryan Seawell and came through with a two-RBI single through the left side to score Lucy and Carter, also chasing Sacramento State reliever James Wheeler. Minaker was thrown out trying to go from first to third on Rapoport's hit and Mel Cuckovich came on in relief of Wheeler to get the Hornets out of the inning without any more damage.
Cuckovich also retired the first two Cardinal batters in the fourth before Putnam singled with two outs and Lucy followed with his eighth homer of the season.
"Every guy in the lineup is swinging the bat well," said Lucy. "It's a ton of fun. Hitting is very contagious. It's know almost become a healthy competition with guys trying to outdo each other."
The Cardinal didn't score in the fifth before coming up with three more in the sixth. Mayberry drew a leadoff walk to start the rally and Putnam followed with an RBI-triple, his second three-bagger of the season. Lucy was then credited with an infield single when he hit a ground ball to Blauser at first base and beat him to the bag with Putnam remaining at third base. Carter followed with an RBI double to score Putnam before Lucy scored on a long sacrifice fly by Chris Minaker.
Stanford finished off the scoring with three more runs in the seventh. Hall started the rally with a double and scored on a one-out single by Mayberry. Former team manager Cameron Matthews then drew a walk in his first career plate appearance and Hester greeted Brandon Hall, the fifth Sacramento State pitcher of the night, with a two-RBI double to plate Mayberry and Matthews.
Blake Holler pitched an impressive ninth inning for the Cardinal in relief of Romanczuk, allowing just a one-out walk and also striking out a batter.
No Sacramento State player had a multiple-hit or multiple-RBI game.
The two doubles by Hall and Carter marked the first time that a Stanford player has had a pair of doubles in a game this season. Hall now has a team-high 10 doubles on the season.
Stanford left nine runners on the base, while the Hornets stranded six. Sacramento State turned the only double play of the game and also committed the game's only error as Stanford played errorless baseball for the 15th time this year and on the third straight occasion to maintain its Pac-10-leading .974 fielding percentage.
The Cardinal also improved its batting average to .336, just a percentage point shy of the .337 posted by the 1981 club, and lowered its team ERA to 3.86.
Stanford is averaging 9.2 runs per game and has more than doubled the run total of its opponents (332-152). Stanford has won 27 of its games by three or more runs and is a perfect 18-0 in games decided by five or more runs. The Cardinal has scored in double digits 17 times and has reached double figures in hits on 29 occasions, including a season-high 12 in a row.
Fuld moved past Paul Carey (331, 1987-90) into sole possession of second-place on Stanford's all-time hit list and now has 334 career hits. John Gall holds the all-time school and Pac-10 record (368, 1997-2000). Fuld also ranks among the school's all-time leaders in triples (16, #3T), doubles (58, #6T) and games played (236, #7).
Stanford continues a two-game home-and-home series with the Hornets in Sacramento on Saturday (2 pm, PDT) as the Cardinal has won 28 of its last 32 road contests. The Cardinal is scheduled to start RHP Jeff Gilmore (6-1, 4.57) versus Sacramento State RHP Ethan Katz (6-4, 4.16). Stanford will conclude a stretch of four consecutive non-conference games at Santa Clara (Tuesday, April 27, 6 pm, PDT) before returning to Pac-10 action by hosting Washington State in a three-game series Friday-Sunday, April 30-May 2 (6 pm, 1 pm, 1 pm, PDT).No. 2 Stanford (31-5) pounded out a season-high 21 hits and Mark Romanczuk picked up his eighth victory of the season as the Cardinal ran its win streak to seven games with a 15-1 victory over Sacramento State (22-27) in a non-conference game at Sunken Diamond on Friday. Brian Hall (3-6, 2 2B, RBI) extended his career-high hit streak to 21 games in the contest, while Donny Lucy (4-4, HR, 2 RBI) had his first career four-hit game and ran his career-high hit streak to 12. John Mayberry, Jr. (3-4, HR, 4 RBI) hit his 10th homer of the season and drove in a season-high-tying four runs, while Sam Fuld (2-5) and Danny Putnam (2-3, 3B, RBI) also extended their current hit streaks to a season-high 12 games and nine, respectively. Chris Carter (3-3, 2 2B, RBI) added his first three-hit game of the season, while Jed Lowrie (2-6, 2B, HR, RBI) hit his team and Pac-10 leading 12th homer and drove in his 50th run of the year. Jim Rapoport and John Hester contributed a pair of RBI each.
"We got a good pitching performance from Mark Romanczuk and obviously hit the ball well," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "It was also good to get some guys that have worked so hard into the game and get them some at bats, because we probably will need them in the second half of the league season."
The 2004 club became only the second Stanford team in 111 years of baseball on The Farm to win 31 of its first 36 games. The 1967 squad was 31-4-1 in its first 36 contests before finishing the season with a 36-6-2 mark and a third-place showing at the College World Series.
Romanczuk allowed only a second inning run and four hits, while striking out seven in a season-high-tying 8.0 innings. He retired the side-in-order in the third, fourth and fifth innings, setting down 14 consecutive batters at one point.
"I felt I had some of the best stuff I've had all year," said Romanczuk, who lowered his ERA to 3.82 and won for the fifth time in his last six outings. "I think I did two really good things tonight by getting ahead of hitters and being able to put guys away. This was my biggest start of the season and hopefully one that will catapult me into the last five Pac-10 games and the postseason."
Romanczuk improved his career record at Stanford to 20-3 and now ranks fourth all-time at Stanford with an .870 career winning percentage.
Stanford jumped out in front in the bottom of the first inning when Lowrie and Mayberry blasted back-to-back two-out solo homers, marking the third time this season the Cardinal has hit back-to-back homers.
Sacramento State came back with its only run of the game in the top of the second when Brett Flowers drew a leadoff walk. Andy Hnilo then singled to put runners on first and second before a sacrifice bunt by Pedro Santiago moved the runners up to second and third and a sacrifice fly from Bret LeVier plated Flowers.
Stanford would score the final 13 runs of the game, putting up multiple runs in six of its eight trips to the plate, including the first frame.
Fuld started a one-out rally in the second with a single and moved to third on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt by Sacramento State starter and losing pitcher Marshall Hendon (1-3), who allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks in 2.0 innings. Hall followed with an RBI single to drive in Fuld. Lowrie then doubled to put Cardinal runners on second and third before an RBI single by Mayberry plated both runners.
Stanford scored two more runs in the third. Lucy and Carter started the inning with back-to-back singles before a walk to Chris Minaker loaded the bases. Rapoport then pinch-hit for starter Ryan Seawell and came through with a two-RBI single through the left side to score Lucy and Carter, also chasing Sacramento State reliever James Wheeler. Minaker was thrown out trying to go from first to third on Rapoport's hit and Mel Cuckovich came on in relief of Wheeler to get the Hornets out of the inning without any more damage.
Cuckovich also retired the first two Cardinal batters in the fourth before Putnam singled with two outs and Lucy followed with his eighth homer of the season.
"Every guy in the lineup is swinging the bat well," said Lucy. "It's a ton of fun. Hitting is very contagious. It's now almost become a healthy competition with guys trying to outdo each other."
The Cardinal didn't score in the fifth before coming up with three more in the sixth. Mayberry drew a leadoff walk to start the rally and Putnam followed with an RBI-triple, his second three-bagger of the season. Lucy was then credited with an infield single when he hit a ground ball to Blauser at first base and beat him to the bag with Putnam remaining at third base. Carter followed with an RBI double to score Putnam before Lucy scored on a long sacrifice fly by Chris Minaker.
Stanford finished off the scoring with three more runs in the seventh. Hall started the rally with a double and scored on a one-out single by Mayberry. Former team manager Cameron Matthews then drew a walk in his first career plate appearance and Hester greeted Brandon Hall, the fifth Sacramento State pitcher of the night, with a two-RBI double to plate Mayberry and Matthews.
Blake Holler pitched an impressive ninth inning for the Cardinal in relief of Romanczuk, allowing just a one-out walk and also striking out a batter.
No Sacramento State player had a multiple-hit or multiple-RBI game.
The two doubles by Hall and Carter marked the first time that a Stanford player has had a pair of doubles in a game this season. Hall now has a team-high 10 doubles on the season.
Stanford left nine runners on the base, while the Hornets stranded six. Sacramento State turned the only double play of the game and also committed the game's only error as Stanford played errorless baseball for the 15th time this year and on the third straight occasion to maintain its Pac-10-leading .974 fielding percentage.
The Cardinal also improved its batting average to .336, just a percentage point shy of the .337 posted by the 1981 club, and lowered its team ERA to 3.86.
Stanford is averaging 9.2 runs per game and has more than doubled the run total of its opponents (332-152). Stanford has won 27 of its games by three or more runs and is a perfect 18-0 in contests decided by five or more runs. The Cardinal has scored in double digits 17 times and has reached double figures in hits on 29 occasions, including a season-high 12 in a row.
Fuld moved past Paul Carey (331, 1987-90) into sole possession of second-place on Stanford's all-time hit list and now has 333 career hits. John Gall holds the all-time school and Pac-10 record (368, 1997-2000). Fuld has already broken the school's record for runs scored (250) and also ranks among the school's all-time leaders in triples (16, #3T), doubles (58, #6T) and games played (236, #7).
Stanford continues a two-game home-and-home series with the Hornets in Sacramento on Saturday (2 pm, PDT) as the Cardinal has won 28 of its last 32 road contests. The Cardinal is scheduled to start RHP Jeff Gilmore (6-1, 4.57) versus Sacramento State RHP Ethan Katz (6-4, 4.16). Stanford will conclude a stretch of four consecutive non-conference games at Santa Clara (Tuesday, April 27, 6 pm, PDT) before returning to Pac-10 action by hosting Washington State in a three-game series Friday-Sunday, April 30-May 2 (6 pm, 1 pm, 1 pm, PDT).
Tickets are available for all 2004 regular season Stanford Baseball home games online at gostanford.com or by calling 1-800-STANFORD.