March 3, 2006
Berkeley, Calif. - Josh Satin scored the game-winning run on a throwing error by Cardinal third baseman Austin Yount to give California (7-5) a dramatic 7-6 victory over Stanford (9-5) in the opener of a three-game non-conference series at Evans Diamond on Friday. Satin drew a leadoff walk off losing pitcher Erik Davis (0-1) to start the California ninth, which followed a three-run Cardinal rally in the top of the inning that had tied the score at 6-6. Satin moved to second on a Brennan Boesch single and third on a Ryan Hanlon walk to load the bases before Garrett Bussiere hit a slow roller that Yount fielded cleanly but overthrew Cardinal catcher John Hester to allow Satin to score.
Allen Craig (2-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI) had a key three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth that snapped a 3-3 tie and gave the Golden Bears a 6-3 lead that held up until the Cardinal tied the contest with its three-run ninth. Boesch (2-5, RBI) was the only other California player with more than one hit, while Bussiere also drove in a run when he reached on an error in the second inning.
Chris Minaker (4-5, 2 RBI, SB) extended his season-high hit streak to seven games for the Cardinal, while Michael Taylor (2-2, RBI) and Brendan Domaracki (2-4, 2 RBI) had two hits each for Stanford. Taylor lengthened his career-high hit streak to eight straight and reached base safely in all five of his plate appearances by adding a pair of walks and a hit batsmen to his pair of singles. Domaracki tied the game with a clutch two-out, two-RBI bases loaded single in the top of the ninth. Joey August scored three runs for Stanford, reaching base in four of his five plate appearances with a double and three walks.
California starter Brandon Morrow limited the Cardinal to three runs (two earned) and scattered seven hits in a career-high 7.1 innings of work. Morrow struck out seven and walked five in a no-decision outing.
Matt Grogen (1-0) picked up the victory for the Golden Bears, retiring the only batter he faced after coming into the game with two outs in the top of the ninth and retiring Yount on a line out to a diving Boesch in center field with the go-ahead run at second base to deny the Cardinal taking the lead.
The leadoff walk issued by Davis (2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 SO) in the bottom of the ninth cost him a loss in an otherwise strong outing.
Greg Reynolds (5.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO) made his shortest start of the season for Stanford. Nolan Gallagher gave up Craig's three-run blast in the only batter he faced, while Jeremy Bleich entered the game after Davis walked the leadoff hitter in the ninth and allowed two of the first three batters he faced to reach on a single and a walk before the error by Yount ended the game.
Stanford jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first when August drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on the first of Jim Rapoport's two sacrifice bunts and scored on an RBI single from Minaker.
California went ahead 2-1 with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning. Chris Errecart singled with one out to start the rally before a throwing error by Chris Lewis on a grounder hit to the Cardinal second baseman put Golden Bear runners on second and third. Bussiere followed with another groundball to Lewis that would have brought home Errecart for an RBI groundout, but the Golden Bears tacked on another run on the play when Lewis threw wildly again to first base for his second error in as many batters, allowing Van Winden to trot all the way home from second base.
The Cardinal went back in front, 3-2, with two runs in the fifth. August again started the rally with a leadoff double and move to third on Rapoport's second sacrifice bunt of the game before scoring on Minaker's RBI single. Taylor was hit by a pitch and John Hester singled to load the bases with one out. August scored when Bussiere's throw trying to complete the back end of a double play hit Jason Castro in the back for a throwing error and gave the Cardinal a brief lead.
But, California immediately tied the score in its half of the fifth when Reynolds hit three batters to load the bases before Boesch singled to bring home Jordan Karnofsky.
Bussiere drew a leadoff walk in the sixth and Charlie Cutler moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt, before an infield single by Karnofsky ended Reynolds' outing and Craig took Gallagher deep over the leftcenter field wall on a 3-2 pitch.
Stanford did not put a runner in scoring position in either the seventh or eighth innings before tying the game with its three-run ninth. August started a rally for the third time of the game, drawing a leadoff walk. California reliever Jeremy Burchett (1.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) got Rapoport for the first out of the inning before giving way to Alex Trafton (0.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB), who blew the save by allowing the runner he inherited to score before being charged with two of his own runs. Minaker and Taylor greeted Trafton with back-to-back singles to bring home August with the first run of the inning before Trafton retired Hester for the second out of the frame. Trafton then walked pinch-hitter Randy Molina to load the bases for Domaracki, who battled Trafton to a nine-pitch at bat before his dramatic two-RBI single to left field tied the game at 6-6.
Stanford and California continue the series on Saturday and Sunday with the first pitch scheduled each day for 1 pm, PT. Saturday's scheduled pitching matchup features Stanford RHP Matt Manship (0-1, 5.40) versus California RHP Michael Cooper (1-1, 4.15).