March 5, 2005
Stanford, Calif. - Head coach Mark Marquess picked up his 1200th career victory when No. 11 Stanford (10-6) snapped a nine-game California (10-5) win streak with its impressive 17th straight triumph over the Golden Bears with a convincing 10-3 decision in the opener of a three-game non-conference set at Sunken Diamond on Saturday. Mark Romanczuk (4-2) pitched his second consecutive complete game to earn the victory, limiting the California to three runs and five hits, and no runs on only one hit over the final 7.0 frames. He finished with seven strikeouts and three walks.
"I felt like I had really good stuff today and settled in after the first two innings," said Romanczuk, who recorded his 27th career win at Stanford to move into a tie for seventh-place on the school's all-time win list and within 10 of all-time school-leader Jeff Ballard (37, 1982-85). "Everything really just kind of fell into place."
"Mark Romanczuk just got stronger and stronger as the contest went on today," added Marquess. "He definitely pitched much better later in the game than he did in the first couple of innings."
A balanced hitting attack with six Cardinal players picking up two hits each helped Stanford outhit the Bears, 13-5. Jed Lowrie and Adam Sorgi were both 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Chris Lewis (2-5, HR, RBI) hit the only homer of the game when he went deep in the bottom of the sixth, while Michael Taylor (2-5, 3 RBI) drove in a career-high three runs. Jim Rapoport (2-4) and John Mayberry, Jr. (2-3) had two hits each. Brendan Domaracki had a pair of RBI.
Brennan Boesch drove in a pair of runs for the Golden Bears but no California player had more than one hit.
California starter Adam Gold (1-2) picked up the loss, recording only five outs and failing to get out of the second inning while allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits, three walks and two hit batsmen.Romanczuk gave up three hits and walked Travis Howell to force home Mike Van Winden with a run in the top of the first inning but escaped further damage when he struck out James Holder with the bases loaded to end the inning. Van Winden and Chris Errecart had back-to-back singles with one out to start the rally and the bases became full when Josh Satin beat out a squibber between Romanczuk and Mayberry at first base.
Stanford responded with a four-run outburst in the bottom of the first off Gold. Sorgi led off the inning with a double before Lowrie was hit two batters later and Mayberry drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Gold then hit John Hester to force in Sorgi with the first run before Cardinal leftfielder Allen Craig dropped a sacrifice fly hit by Domaracki as both Lowrie and Mayberry scored on the play. Taylor capped off the inning with a two-out RBI single to plate Domaracki with an unearned run.
California bounced right back with a pair of runs in the top of the second, taking advantage of two hit batsmen and a Romanczuk walk before Boesch came through with a clutch two-out, two-RBI single to score Kyle Spraker and Van Winden.
Stanford knocked Gold out of the game by scoring another run in the second. Rapoport led off the frame with a single and moved to second when Sorgi drew a walk. Gold then induced Chris Minaker into a double play that nearly got him out of the inning without any damage but Lowrie came up with a clutch two-out RBI double to bring home Rapoport. Gold lasted one more batter but was removed after issuing a walk to Mayberry, his third of the contest in addition to two hit batsmen. Reliever Michael Cooper got the Golden Bears out of the jam when he came on and struck out Hester to end the frame.
Romanczuk settled in after a shaky start and did not allow another California run, giving up only a fourth inning leadoff double by Spraker and walking Van Winden to start the seventh the rest of the way. Stanford did commit a pair of errors but neither mistake cost the Cardinal a run.
Stanford added another run in the fifth when Lowrie led off with a double, moved to third on a single by Mayberry and scored on an RBI groundball by Domaracki that turned into a throwing error on California third baseman Matt Einspahr.
Lewis led off Stanford's two-run sixth with a solo homer and the Cardinal picked up a second run in the frame when Rapoport restarted the rally by drawing a walk and scored on Sorgi's second double of the contest.
Stanford scored the final two runs of the contest in the eighth on a two-RBI single by Taylor that scored pinch-runner Ryan Seawell and Hester. Lowrie had walked to start the inning and Hester doubled him to third before Seawell came into the game for Lowrie.
"It was definitely intense," said Taylor of the freshman's first game versus local rival California. "But, we've also had a lot of other intense games with other rivals this year. I'm getting used to the intensity of college baseball and what it means to means to have a Stanford jersey on my back."
Stanford and California will conclude the series with a doubleheader on Sunday (1 pm, PT) necessitated by the postponement of Friday's scheduled series opener. Stanford is slated to go with RHP Jeff Gilmore (2-1, 2.86) in the first game of the twin bill versus California RHP Erik Dworkis (1-1, 4.32). RHP Nolan Gallagher (0-2, 2.55) is scheduled to pitch for the Cardinal in the second game, while California has yet to announce a starting pitcher.
STANFORD NOTES
Mark Marquess won his 1200th game to become the 16th NCAA Division I baseball head coach to reach 1200 career wins
Stanford has now defeated California 17 games in a row dating back to the last Golden Bear win in the series in Berkeley on March 9, 2002
Stanford is now 9-1 at home this season and has a 47-7 record in its last 54 contests at Sunken Diamond
Stanford needs to win just one game in Sunday's doubleheader versus California to extend its regular season three-game series home win streak to 14
Stanford has swept six consecutive doubleheaders dating back to a split with UCLA at Sunken Diamond on April 7, 2001
Mark Romanczuk won his 27th career game on The Farm to move into a tie for seventh-place on the school's all-time list and within 10 of all-time school win leader Jeff Ballard (37, 1982-85)
Michael Taylor had a career-high three RBI
Brendan Domaracki had two RBI in a game for the first time in his career
Stanford scored in double-digits for the third time this season and the first since scoring a season-high for runs in a 15-10 win at Cal State Fullerton on February 6
Stanford homered for the first time in four games when Chris Lewis hit a solo shot to lead off the sixth inning