Feb. 6, 2005
Fullerton, Calif. - No. 6 Stanford (4-2) scored six runs in the top of the first inning and cruised to a 15-10 victory over defending national champions and No. 3 Cal State Fullerton (2-1) in the finale of a three-game non-conference series that lasted four hours and six minutes on Super Bowl Sunday. The victory helped the Cardinal avoid being swept by the Titans and snapped Stanford's five-game losing skid at Goodwin Field. Chris Lewis (3-5, 2 HR, 2 RBI) had his first career two-homer game and a career-high three hits for the Cardinal, while Chris Minaker (2-6, HR, RBI) also went deep. Sergio Pedroza (2-6, 2 HR, 2 RBI) homered twice for the Titans.
John Mayberry, Jr. (2-4, 2B, 3 RBI), John Hester (2-4, 3 RBI) and Jed Lowrie (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI) all added multiple-hit and multiple-RBI efforts for Stanford, while Lewis and Jim Rapoport both scored three times.
"It was good to get this final game of the series," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "We obviously had a nice performance offensively today."
Blake Holler (2-0) earned the victory by scattering six hits without giving up an unearned run (one run) over 3.2 innings as the first of two Stanford relievers. Holler struck out a career-high-tying five batters and walked three. Erik Davis earned his first collegiate save by pitching the final 3.1 innings, allowing four runs on three hits and one walk with three strikeouts.
Blake Davis (2-5, 2 RBI) and Brett Pill (2-5, 2 RBI) both joined Pedroza with multiple-hit and multiple-RBI contests. Danny Dorn (2-3) also had a pair of hits for the Titans.
Cal State Fullerton starter Scott Sarver (0-1) could only record one out (0.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB) in taking the loss.
Stanford's 15 runs and 15 hits were both season-highs as were the Titans' nine runs and 14 hits as the teams combined for 24 runs and 29 hits.
Stanford's six-run first inning started with back-to-back walks to Michael Taylor and Hester. Lowrie then singled home Taylor for the first Cardinal run. Mayberry followed with a two-RBI double over the head of Titan centerfielder Bobby Andrews to make it 3-0 in favor of Stanford. Minaker then hit a hard line drive in front of Andrews for a single and Mayberry came around to score after the ball bounced away from Andrews. Minaker, who had advanced to second on Andrews' error, then moved to third on a balk by Sarver and scored on a sacrifice fly from Adam Sorgi before the first of Lewis' two solo homers capped the rally.
Cal State Fullerton got on the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Ronnie Prettyman started a two-out rally with a single and then stole second base. Andrews and John Curtis drew back-to-back walks to load the bases before Davis came through with a clutch two-RBI single up the middle to plate Prettyman and Andrews.Stanford responded with two runs in the top of the third on solo homers by Minaker and Lewis.
Cal State Fullerton came back with three runs in the bottom of the third to cut the Cardinal lead to 8-5. Pedroza led off the inning with his second homer of the series. Garcia followed with a double and then a single by Dorn chased Stanford starter Greg Reynolds (2.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO, 1 HB). Pill greeted Cardinal reliever Blake Holler with an RBI single to plate Garcia. Holler finally got the first Cardinal out of the inning when he retired Prettyman on a 3-1 groundout that moved Pill up to second. Andrews then drew a walk to put Titans on first and second with only one out, but Holler came back to strike out Curtis and got Davis to hit a groundball to Sorgi at third base that looked to end the inning. However, an error by Sorgi on the play allowed Dorn to score before Turner flied out to center to end the inning.
Stanford scored twice in the top of the fourth to increase its margin to 10-5. Rapoport drew a leadoff walk as a pinch-hitter and moved to third on a single by Taylor before scoring on an RBI single from Hester. Stanford's second run in the frame was unearned as Taylor scored on an RBI groundout from Mayberry after having taken third base on a passed ball by Curtis.
Cal State Fullerton picked up an unearned run in the fourth when Dorn drew a two-out walk, moved to third on an errant Holler pickoff attempt throw and scored on an RBI single by Pill.
Stanford came back with four runs in the fifth. Sorgi started the inning with a leadoff walk before coming around to score on back-to-back singles by Lewis and Ben Summerhays. Lewis then scored when Titan reliever Dave Ferrin uncorked a wild pitch. A walk to Rapoport and a sacrifice bunt by Taylor left Cardinal runners on second and third with just one out. Hester plated Summerhays with an RBI single before Lowrie brought home Rapoport on a sacrifice fly.
The teams exchanged single runs in the seventh inning. Rapoport led off the Cardinal seventh with a double before moving to third on a fly out by Taylor and scoring on a sacrifice fly from Hester. Pedroza's second homer of the game accounted for the Titans' seventh inning score.
Cal State Fullerton finished the game's scoring with three runs in the ninth inning. Pinch-hitter Evan McArthur had a two-RBI triple to plate Trevor Mortensen and Brandon Tripp, who were hit by a pitch and singled back-to-back as pinch-hitters to lead off the inning. McArthur came home on a sacrifice fly by Felipe Garcia.
Stanford returns home to face Kansas at Sunken Diamond in a non-conference three-game series next Friday-Sunday, February 11-13 (5 pm, 1 pm, 11 am, PT).
NOTES
Stanford has now lost five straight games at Cal State Fullerton (January 31, 2003 - February 5, 2005)
Stanford has not been swept in 29 consecutive regular season three-game series ... The last time the Cardinal suffered a sweep was at Cal State Fullerton (January 31 - February 2, 2003)
The four-hour and six minute game was the longest of the year for the Cardinal