May 9, 2006
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Stanford, Calif. - Stanford (23-21) scored four runs in the top of the 15th inning and outlasted Santa Clara (26-23) in an 8-4 non-conference victory over the Broncos on Tuesday night at Schott Stadium. The game was the longest of the season for the Cardinal, checking in at five hours and seven minutes. Cord Phelps' one-out RBI single in the top of the 15th frame scored Joey August to break a 4-4 tie before Chris Lewis followed with a two-RBI double to plate Chris Minaker and Phelps. Lewis scored the final Stanford run of the inning on a wild pitch.
"This was just one of those crazy games," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "But, it makes it worth it when you come up with a victory. Our players kept their focus and that ended up paying off with a win."
August and Minaker started the 15th inning for Stanford with back-to-back singles before Michael Taylor lined out to right for the first out. Phelps then grounded a ball through the right side that was followed by Lewis' long double to left center to end a losing outing for Mark Willinsky (2-4), who allowed four runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts over his 3.1 frames of relief.
Randy Molina (3-4, RBI) and Lewis (3-7, 2 2B, 2 RBI) had three hits each for the Cardinal with Lewis extending his hit streak to a new season-high six games, while Phelps (2-3, RBI), August (2-3) and Jason Castro (2-6) picked up two each. Grant Escue drove in a pair of runs with a pinch-hit double in the top of 12th inning that gave the Cardinal a 4-2 lead.
Max Fearnow (2-0) picked up the victory, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts over the final 4.0 innings. Erik Davis (5.0 IP, 1H, 1 BB, 4 SO) equaled the longest outing of his career without giving up a run to extend the game into extra innings, while Sean Ratliff (3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 SO) also pitched in relief of starter Nolan Gallagher (3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 SO).
Kris Watts (3-6, 2B, RBI) had three hits for the Broncos, while Kyle Hartz (2-3, 2B) and Matt Long (2-6) added two each. Eric Newton drove in a pair of runs with a two-out bloop double in the bottom of the 12th inning that tied the contest at 4-4.
Stanford took a 4-2 lead in the top of the 12th when Daniel DeMarco allowed a lead off single to Lewis and walked Castro before being relieved by Willinsky. Pinch-hitter Brendan Domaracki moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt to set up Escue's dramatic double in only his second collegiate plate appearance.
An error by Castro started Santa Clara's 12th inning rally and a double two batters later from Watts put Broncos on second and third with just one out. Fearnow forced Realini into a fielders' choice on the next play that left the Broncos still two runs behind and with runners on first and second with two outs. Newton then worked the count to 3-2 off Fearnow and with the runners off on the pitch blooped a ball into shallow right center field that turned into a two-run double when the Cardinal failed to field it in time as Realini scored all the way from first base. Gabe Alacantar nearly ended the game on the next pitch but his long fly ball fell just short of the left field wall into the glove of August.
Stanford started the game's scoring in the fourth when Taylor doubled to right center off the glove of a diving Hartz and Molina quickly followed with a bouncing RBI single up the middle to put the Cardinal ahead, 1-0.
The Cardinal went ahead 2-0 with a run in the fifth inning. Castro and Brent Milleville started the inning with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and third with no outs, but the Broncos avoided a big inning when Austin Yount bounced into a subsequent double play that did allow Castro to score.
Santa Clara tied the game at 2-2 with a pair of runs in the fifth off Ratliff. The rally started when Milleville dropped a throw at first base on a routine ground ball by Kevin Drever to Lewis at second base. The error started a string of five consecutive Broncos that would reach base with back-to-back singles by Long and Daniel Nava bringing home Drever for the first Bronco run of the frame. Watts then followed with the Broncos' second straight RBI single to plate Long and tie the score at 2-2. Ratliff then hit Realini to load the bases before striking out Newton and Donald Brandt in back-to-back at bats to get out of the inning without any further damage.
Jeff Lombard (5.0 IP, 4 H, 5 SO) held the Cardinal scoreless during his stint in relief of starter Chris Stansbury (6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO). Deke Dormer (0.2 IP, 1 BB) got the final two outs in the top of the 14th inning.
The Cardinal snapped a three-game losing streak to the Broncos with the victory.
Stanford continues its current five-game road swing with a non-conference contest at Sacramento State on Wednesday, May 10 (2:30 pm, PT), before visiting Washington for a crucial three-game Pac-10 series Friday-Sunday, May 12-14 (6:30 pm, 2 pm, 1 pm, PT).