April 11, 2009
Complete Release and Box Score in PDF Format
STANFORD, Calif. - Brent Milleville hit two of Stanford's three home runs, Brett Mooneyham matched his career high with 10 strikeouts over 6.0-plus innings and Drew Storen logged a 3.0-inning save as the Cardinal (13-13, 7-5) posted a 7-2 victory over visiting UCLA (13-19, 6-6) in a Pac-10 Conference game at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond. Stanford won a Pac-10 series rubber game behind Mooneyham for the third straight week, while the Cardinal improved to 9-3 in its last 12 games overall.
Mooneyham (3-1), a freshman left-hander, fanned 10 for the second time in three starts during an excellent performance. He allowed just four hits and two runs while pitching into the seventh inning for the third straight start. Although the southpaw also walked four, he was at his best in tough spots, holding UCLA hitless in six at-bats with runners in scoring position. Mooneyham's only blemish came in the third inning, when he walked leadoff batter Eddie Murray and surrendered a tying, two-run home run to Blair Dunlap.
With today's effort, Mooneyham has now won three consecutive starts - all in Pac-10 rubber games - while forging a 2.29 ERA (5er, 19.2ip) with 10 hits allowed, nine walks and 27 strikeouts.
Stanford played longball today, scoring four of its seven runs via the home run. Milleville, who has hit a conference-high five homers during Pac-10 play, broke a scoreless tie in the second with a mammoth two-run shot to left-center field. The senior first baseman also led off the eighth inning with a solo clout to cap a three-hit day, and is now hitting at a .378 clip (14-for-31) with 11 runs scored, all six of his homers and 12 RBI over the last 11 contests.
Perhaps the game's most important homer, however, came off the bat of Kellen Kiilsgaard. With the game tied 2-2 in the sixth and UCLA's Charles Brewer (1-4) matching middle-inning zeroes with Mooneyham, the Stanford right fielder unloaded on a 3-1 pitch for a solo home run that cleared the scoreboard in right-center field. Kiilsgaard's team-leading seventh home run (and fourth in Pac-10 games) and club-best 22nd RBI gave the Cardinal a 3-2 lead it would not relinquish.
Given the one-run lead, Mooneyham was sent back out to the mound to start the seventh. However, after Chris Giovinazzo led off with a single, the Cardinal turned to Drew Storen, who proceeded to get the game's most important outs. Niko Gallego greeted Storen by sacrificing the tying run to second, but Stanford's closer retired Murray and Dunlap on harmless grounders to end the threat. While the Cardinal offense tacked on four more runs, Storen quickly went through the eighth and ninth to record his fourth save and extended his scoreless streak to 12.1 consecutive innings.
Stanford broke the game open with a three-run seventh off the UCLA bullpen. Jake Schlander and Joey August delivered RBI-singles, while Colin Walsh capped a two-hit day with a run-scoring double. Zach Jones - who was 1-for-2 this afternoon - ignited the inning with a leadoff walk and stolen base, while Adam Gaylord played a key role with a successful sacrifice bunt.
Stanford is back in action this Monday evening, when the Cardinal hosts California in a non-conference game. First pitch from Klein Field at Sunken Diamond is set for 5:00 p.m. PT.