Feb. 3, 2006
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Stanford, Calif. - Pinch hitter Brendan Domaracki's one-out bases loaded single in the bottom of the ninth scored Michael Taylor with the game-winning run to lift Stanford (1-0) to a dramatic season-opening 2-1 victory over No. 5 Cal State Fullerton (0-1) at Sunken Diamond on Friday night. Jeremy Bleich (1-0) pitched 2.1 hitless innings in his first collegiate outing to earn the victory after starter Greg Reynolds had limited the Titans to one run while scattering eight hits over the first 6.2 frames.
"I just tried to hit the ball hard somewhere, and it turned out the right way," said Domaracki about his game-winner. "I dug myself a hole (in the count), and I knew I had to get myself out of it."
Taylor (2-4, 3B) was the only Cardinal player with more than one hit in the contest and led off the Cardinal half of the ninth with his triple down the right field line off losing pitcher Dustin Miller (0-1). Martin stayed in the game to intentionally walk Jason Castro and John Hester before giving way to Vinnie Pestano, who enticed Chris Lewis to pop-out prior to allowing Domaracki's game-winner.
"I admit I was thinking home run all the way in that situation," offered Taylor about his leadoff triple in the ninth. "But, I had to calm down a little bit and just go with the pitch I got to hit."
Brandon Tripp (3-3, 2 2B, 3 RBI) was the only Titan player with more than one hit.
Neither team put up much offense as Reynolds dueled with Titan starter Wes Roemer (7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 8 SO) for most of the contest.
Cal State Fullerton scored its lone run of the game in the third when Evan McArthur led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jared Clark and scored on Tripp's first double.
Stanford answered in its half of the third to the game at 1-1. Ryan Seawell was credited for his first career triple when Tripp never saw his routine one-out fly ball to the Titan centefielder and scored when Austin Yount doubled him home in his first collegiate at bat.
Reynolds retired seven in a row and 12 of his next 14 after giving up the run in the third. He worked himself out of a jam in the fifth when he retired Justin Turner on a groundout to end the inning with runners on second and third base. He allowed back-to-back one-out singles to Danny Dorn and pinch-hitter David Cooper in the seventh but popped up Clark before giving way to Bleich, who hit Tripp with his first collegiate pitch but retired Turner on a deep fly ball to Taylor in right to end the inning.
"Everything turned out nicely tonight," said Reynolds about his first outing as the team's ace.
Roemer set down nine of the next 10 batters he faced after Yount's RBI double in the third but did have to work his way out of a tight spot in the sixth when he struck out Castro and Hester back-to-back after allowing consecutive one-out singles to Chris Minaker and Taylor, who were left stranded at second and third.
"This is the kind game we lost last year," said Taylor on the team's victory. "To come out and win a game like this on opening night is big.""It was very impressive the way both teams played," added Marquess. "It was a great college game."
The squads will continue the series with single games on Saturday and Sunday with both contests scheduled to start at 1:00 pm, PT.