Feb. 20, 2004
Box Score
Updated Season Stats
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Stanford, Calif. - No. 4 Stanford (9-1) won the opener of a three-game non-conference series versus No. 6 Texas (10-1) by a score of 7-4 to extend its home win streak to 16 games and its overall win streak to six in a row, while handing the Longhorns their first loss of the season on Friday at Sunken Diamond. Mark Romanczuk (3-1) and David O'Hagan combined on a five-hitter as the Cardinal came from behind for the seventh time in nine wins this season. Romanczuk pitched the first 7.0 innings, scattering four hits and four runs (two earned) with eight strikeouts. O'Hagan earned his second save of the season by striking out five batters in 2.0 scoreless one-hit innings of work.
"All three of my pitches were going pretty well, especially later in the game," said Romanczuk, who won his 15th career game and retired the final nine batters he faced.
"I was very pleased with the way Mark Romanczuk finished his outing," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "He got stronger the longer he went and then David O'Hagan came in and did a great job."
O'Hagan retired six of the eight hitters he faced, allowing only a two-out walk to Dooley Prince in the top of the eighth and a leadoff single to Michael Hollimon to open the ninth but never allowed the tying run to reach the plate.
"I was a little nervous because this was the first time this season I have come in late in the game," admitted O'Hagan, who has came into the contest in the first inning in his two most recent appearances. "But, it was good to get out there (in that situation)."
Stanford's John Mayberry, Jr. (2-4, 3B, 2 RBI) was the only player for either team with more than one hit. Donny Lucy also had two RBI for the Cardinal, while J.D. Reininger drove in a pair of runs with a two-run homer in the top of the third for the Longhorns.
Texas starter J.P. Howell (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs (three earned) and five hits with four strikeouts over the first 4.1 innings. Texas relievers Kyle Yates (2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 SO) and J. Brent Cox (1.0 IP, 1 SO) shut the Cardinal out the rest of the way.
The game was marred by six errors as each team committed three miscues. Five of the six errors came in the first three innings as the Cardinal led 6-4 after three frames.
Each team had just two hits after the third inning and the Cardinal scored the only run from that point with an unearned tally in the bottom of the fifth.
Stanford took an early 3-0 lead with three unearned runs in the bottom of the first inning. Sam Fuld reached on a walk to lead off the Cardinal first and came all the way around to score when a ground ball hit by Jonny Ash to Texas first baseman Curtis Thigpen ended up with Fuld crossing the plate and Ash winding up on second base. Thigpen fielded the ball cleanly but his throw to second base to begin a possible double play hit Fuld and bounced into left field. Fuld took off for third and Texas leftfielder Nathan Warrick sailed a throw by Reininger at third for the Longhorns second error on the play to allow Fuld to score. Ash moved to third on a ground out by Jed Lowrie and scored on a two-out RBI triple from Mayberry.
Texas rallied with two runs in the top of the second inning to cut the Cardinal lead to 3-2. Seth Johnston led off the inning with a single and moved to second on the first of two balks by Romanczuk before a walk two batters later to Drew Stubbs put Longhorns on first and second with one out. Texas scored its first run of the game on the next play when David Maroul hit a hard ground ball to Ash at third base. Ash knocked the ball down but his throw to first base was errant, allowing Johnston to score. The Longhorns loaded the bases when Dooley Prince hit a ball to leftcenter field between Fuld and Putnam that was dropped by Fuld when the two player collided and scored its second run when Romanczuk issued a bases loaded walk to Warrick. Stanford got out of the jam without any further damage when Romanczuk retired Hollimon and Thigpen back-to-back with the bases jammed.
Texas took a 4-3 lead with two more runs in the top of the third inning. Taylor Teagarden reached on a fielding error by Cardinal shortstop Adam Sorgi to lead off the inning and came around to score on Reininger's two-run blast over the left field wall.
Stanford scored three runs in the bottom of the third to retake a 6-4 lead. Fuld was hit by a pitch to start the rally, before a single by Ash and a walk to Lowrie loaded the bases. Texas nearly got out of the jam when Howell struck out Danny Putnam and Mayberry back-to-back before Lucy came through with a clutch two-out, two-RBI single to score Fuld and Ash, giving the Cardinal the lead for good. Stanford added another run when Brian Hall singled home Lowrie.Stanford added an unearned insurance run in the bottom of the fifth when Lowrie led off with a single, moved to second on an errant pickoff throw from Howell and scored on a one-out RBI single from Mayberry.
Texas left nine runners on base, while the Cardinal stranded only four.
Putnam had his hit streak snapped at a career-high-tying 10 games by going 0-for-3.
Fuld (0-2) picked up his team-leading 14th walk of the season but stayed at 298 career hits.
Ash, Lowrie and Lucy all extended their hit streaks to six games.
Stanford has now won 32 of its last 37 games overall and three of its last four meetings versus Texas. The Cardinal leads the overall series versus the Longhorns, 16-12-1.
Stanford and Texas will continue their series with single games on Saturday and Sunday, both scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm, PT. Saturday's scheduled pitching matchup is Stanford RHP Jeff Gilmore (2-0, 2.00) versus Texas RHP Sam LeCure (1-0, 2.77). Texas has announced LHP Justin Simmons (2-0, 1.93) as its probable starter for Sunday while the Cardinal has yet to announce a starter. Stanford needs to win just one of the final two games of the series to capture its 16th series victory in its last 17 efforts.
Tickets are available for the remainder of the Texas series and all 2004 home Stanford Baseball games online at gostanford.com or by calling 1-800-STANFORD.