May 7, 2007
Pullman, Wash. - Washington State (23-21, 6-12 Pac-10) came from behind for a 4-2 victory over Stanford (19-26, 4-14 Pac-10) in the rubber game of a three-game series at Bailey-Brayton Field on Monday. The Cougars trailed 2-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning but scored three times after the first two batters were retired in the frame. Travis Coulter's RBI single to left field scored pinch-runner Cody Bartlett with the game-winning run after pinch-hitter Mike Gilbert had previously tied the contest with a bloop two-run single that plated Zach Borba and Ryan Krauser, who had started the two-out seventh inning rally by drawing a walk and reaching on a bunt single, respectively.
Washington State added an insurance run in the eighth when Simi Reynolds led off with the inning with a single and scored on Jeff Miller's RBI double.
Stanford made it exciting in the top of the ninth. Brian Juhl led off the inning with a single and Jeff Whitlow reached on a two-out error by Miller at second base to move pinch-runner J.J. Jelmini over to third and bring Sean Ratliff to the plate as the potential go-ahead run. But Ross Humes (1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 SO) struck Ratliff out looking to end the game and record his single-season school record 11th save of the campaign.
Washington State starter Jayson Miller (3-2) picked up the victory by limiting the Cardinal to just two runs on six hits without walking a batter and striking out four over 7.1 innings. Jeremy Johnson faced just one batter in the eighth, giving up a single to Michael Taylor before Humes came in to get the final two outs of the eighth after entering the contest with one out and runners on first and second. Humes hit Ryan Seawell to load the bases but then got Brent Milleville to hit into an inning-ending groundout on a tremendous diving play by Cougar shortstop Cody Bartlett deep in the hole between shortstop and third base that robbed Milleville of a potential two-run single.
The late Cougar comeback overshadowed a tremendous outing for Stanford starter and losing pitcher Erik Davis (2-2), who shut Washington State out over the first six innings on just three hits. Davis ended up allowing three runs on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts over a 7.0 inning outing that was the longest of his career. Davis had retired nine in a row before the Cougars started their two-out seventh inning rally. Blake Hancock (0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER) and Cory Bannister (0.2 IP, 1 BB) pitched the eighth inning for the Cardinal.
Taylor (2-4) and Ratliff (2-5) had two hits each for the Cardinal with Ratliff extending his career-high hit streak to 11 games. Adam Sorgi's 10-game hit streak came to an end as he was 0-for-3.
Toby Gerhart provided one of Stanford's two runs when he led off the game with a solo homer while the other Stanford run came on Seawell's sixth inning sacrifice fly after back-to-back leadoff singles by Ratliff and Taylor had started the rally before Sorgi moved the runners to second and third with his sacrifice bunt.
Coulter (2-4, RBI) and Simi Reynolds (2-4) had two hits each for the Cougars, while Gilbert drove in a pair.
The Cougars were able to get only one runner into scoring position in the first six innings off Davis before their three-run seventh and single run in the eighth.
"You have to give Washington State credit because they came up with big hits in big spots today, and that's why they won," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "It is frustrating to have as good of a pitching performance as we got from Erik Davis today and not come up with a victory."
Stanford will next return home to Sunken Diamond for a three-game set against Washington this Friday-Sunday, May 11-13 (6 pm, 1 pm, 1 pm, PT) with CSTV televising Sunday's series finale live. Tickets for the Washington series and all remaining regular season Stanford Baseball home contests are available online at gostanford.com or by calling 1-800-STANFORD. On game days, tickets may be purchased at the Sunken Diamond Ticket Office window beginning one hour before first pitch. For group ticket information (groups of 10 or more), call 650-725-2876.