Feb. 4, 2007
Complete Recap in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Fullerton, Calif. - No. 14 Cal State Fullerton (3-0) completed a three-game sweep of Stanford (0-3) with a 12-10 victory over the Cardinal at Goodwin Field on Sunday. The Titans scored 11 runs in the bottom of the seventh frame to overcome a 2-1 Stanford lead that had held up since the third inning. Stanford answered with six runs in the top of the eighth and two more in the ninth but could not overcome the 10-run deficit.
The Cardinal managed to get the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth but Nolan Bruyninckx came on to earn the save by getting pinch-hitter Joey August to hit into a double play and strike out Brian Juhl looking to end the wild game that lasted three hours and 51 minutes.
A trio of Titan players - Joe Scott (3-4, 2B, 3 RBI), Evan McArthur (3-5, 2B, 2 RBI) and Jake Vasquez (3-5, 2B, RBI) - had three hits each and also combined to drive in six runs. Clark Hardman (2-4, 3B, 2 RBI) and John Curtis (2-2, 2 2B, RBI) added two hits each while driving in three more runs while Chris Jones doubled and had a pair of RBI.
Cord Phelps (3-5, 3 2B) had three doubles to tie a career-best with three hits while Michael Taylor (2-5, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, SB), Adam Sorgi (2B, 3 RBI) and Jeff Whitlow (2B, 2 RBI) combined to drive in seven with Sorgi and Whitlow bringing home all five of their runs in one clutch pinch hitting appearance each. Juhl (2-4) and Austin Yount (2-5) also had a pair of hits for the Cardinal.
Stanford led 2-1 through six and a half innings before the Titans sent 15 batters to plate against seven Stanford pitchers in their wild seventh. Losing pitcher Jeremy Bleich could not record an out in the three batters he faced in the frame after allowing just one run and four hits through the first six innings. Bleich (6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO). Bleich allowed a leadoff single to Vasquez, walked Dustin Garneau and gave up an infield single to Hardman before being removed in favor of Austin Yount (0.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER), who allowed a two-RBI single to Scott and an RBI single to Weeks in his brief outing. Erik Davis (0.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER) allowed an RBI double to McArthur before David Stringer (0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER) came on and was taken for a two-RBI single by Jones and an RBI-double from Curtis. Stringer finally retired the first Cardinal out of the inning after the Titans had already scored six times to take a 7-2 advantage. Tom Stilson then gave up an RBI double to Vasquez and walked Garneau before being removed for Blake Hancock, who allowed a two-RBI triple to Hardman and a RBI double by Scott before hitting Weeks. Rex Petrill finally came in and got the final two outs on one pitch in his first Stanford appearance when he induced McArthur into an inning-ending double play.
Taylor blasted a solo homer to start the eighth and Stanford's late comeback bid. Yount then beat out an infield hit and Phelps followed with a double to put runners on second and third. Whitlow then brought in both runners with a line drive pinch hit double in his first collegiate at bat. Adam Gaylord blooped a single into shallow leftcenter field and Juhl walked to load the bases for Sorgi's bases-clearing three-run pinch hit double down the left field line that brought the Cardinal within 12-8 with still no outs in the inning. But Ryan Ackland (1.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) settled down to get the final three batters in order and prevent further damage.
Stanford continued its comeback bid in the ninth when Yount started a rally with a leadoff single and moved to third on Phelps' third double of the contest. Grant Escue followed with an RBI single on a 14-pitch at bat with nine foul balls to cut the Titan lead to 12-9 and bring August to the plate as the tying run.
Bryan Harris (1-0) was credited with the victory as the third of six Cal State Fullerton pitchers. Harris (0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 SO) recorded the final out in the Cardinal seventh before the Titans' 11-run bottom of the frame.
The teams had traded runs in the top of the first inning for an early 1-1 tie.
Taylor tripled with two outs in the Stanford half before scoring an unearned run on a throwing error by Scott at shortstop.
Scott tied the score in the Titan half of the first when he drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Weeks and scored on a one-out RBI single by McArthur.
Stanford went back in front 2-1 with a run in the third. Sean Ratliff led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a single from Toby Gerhart and scored on Taylor's RBI fielder's choice.
Stanford will host Fresno State (1-2) in its first home series of the season at Sunken Diamond next Friday-Sunday, February 9-11 (5 pm, 1 pm, 1 pm, PT). Fans attending Friday's home opener will receive a free 2007 Stanford Baseball schedule magnet while supplies last. Tickets are available online at gostanford.com or by calling 1-800-STANFORD. For group ticket information (groups of 10 or more), call 650-725-2876.
A complete recap will follow.