April 21, 2008
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Another weekday comeback was the order of the day for No. 5 Stanford (22-12-2), as 11 consecutive runs erased an early 5-2 deficit and propelled the Cardinal to a 13-6 victory Monday night over the Santa Clara Broncos (21-16) at Stephen Schott Stadium.
The Cardinal scored its 13 runs over five consecutive innings, getting its first two in the third frame, then scoring a single run in the fourth, six in the pivotal fifth inning, and tacking on three more runs in the sixth. Stanford tallied its final run in the seventh.
Randy Molina and Brent Milleville provided the pop for Stanford Monday night, each swatting a home run and combining to drive in nine of the Cardinal's 13 runs. Molina went 2-for-3 from the plate, hitting his fourth home run of the season and doubling while driving in five runs. Milleville also had a pair of hits in four at-bats, hitting a grand slam in Stanford's six-run fifth inning, his fifth homer of the season.
David Stringer tossed four innings of scoreless ball in relief of starter Michael Marshall, allowing only two hits and striking out a batter to earn his second victory of the season.
The Broncos struck first in the contest, taking a 1-0 lead after Evan LeBlanc sent the first pitch he saw from Marshall over the center-field wall in the bottom of the first inning.
Stanford would claim its first lead of the game two innings later thanks to the bat of Cord Phelps. Jeff Whitlow singled to start the frame, and Zach Jones followed with a base on balls. Both runners were moved up a bag on Jake Schlander's sacrifice, then Phelps sent a flare into short left field that scored Whitlow and Jones for Stanford's first runs.
Santa Clara would answer right back in its half of the third, as Brady Fuerst singled and stole second to start things off. Matt Long bunted his way on, moving Fuerst to third, then with runners on the corners, LeBlanc struck again with a single to right that plated Fuerst to even things up at 2-2. Tommy Medica then chased Marshall from the contest with a deep shot to left for a three-run homer and 5-2 Santa Clara lead.
Stringer took the rubber and quickly got three outs to end the inning, helped by catcher Jason Castro shooting down SCU's Nathan Faulkner on a steal attempt after reaching first on an error.
The Cardinal made up one of those runs in its following turn at bat, on Whitlow's sacrifice fly that scored Castro, before the bats went white-hot in the big fifth inning.
The rally started with inning-opening walks to Schlander and Phelps, who advanced on pinch-hitter Brendan Domaracki's sacrifice bunt after Justin Kuehn came on for Santa Clara in relief of starter Matt Wickswat. Castro was intentionally walked, loading the bases with one away, and Milleville made the Broncos pay as he whacked a Kuehn offering out of the park to put Stanford ahead for good at 7-5.
The bats stayed hot, as Sean Ratliff's single was followed by Molina's long shot to left-center that increased the Cardinal lead to 9-5.
Stanford would give itself a seven-run cushion an inning later, as walks to Castro and Milleville, followed by a single from Ratliff, gave way to a bases-clearing double down the left-field line off the bat of Molina. The Cardinal scored its final run in the seventh on Castro's sacrifice fly to left that plated Phelps.
Phelps went 1-for-4 in the contest, driving in a pair of runs, while Castro drove in a run, scored three of his own, and walked twice in a 1-for-2 showing from the plate.
Santa Clara added a run in the eighth on Nathan Faulkner's RBI single off of Blake Hancock that scored Medica.
Drew Storen tossed a scoreless inning and two-thirds for the Cardinal to finish off the contest.
Ratliff and Schlander each had a pair of hits and scored twice to help the Cardinal cause.
Stanford returns to Klein Field Wednesday, opening a four-game homestand with a 6 p.m. contest against Saint Mary's. The Cardinal resume Pac-10 action over the weekend, hosting the USC Trojans in a three-game series.