April 22, 2009
Complete Release and Box Score in PDF Format
STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford head coach Mark Marquess moved into sole possession of eighth place on the NCAA Division I baseball all-time wins list with his 1,343rd career victory as the host Cardinal (17-16) defeated California (18-20) by the score of 11-7 tonight at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond. With a career 1,343-685-7 (.662) record over 33 years at the helm of his alma mater, Marquess has won the eighth-most games in the history of D-I baseball. Tonight's victory moved him past Rod Dedeaux, who went 1,342-597-16 (.691) over 44 seasons at USC (1942-47 and 1949-86).
Marquess' historic victory came as Stanford won the fifth and deciding contest in the season series with California. In defeating the Golden Bears for the second time outside of Pac-10 play, the Cardinal has now won seven straight non-conference games. Stanford is also 8-2 in its last 10 home contests.
The top of the Stanford order proved to be the difference tonight, as the one through five hitters of Colin Walsh, Joey August, Toby Gerhart, Kellen Kiilsgaard and Brent Milleville combined to go 10-for-19 with 10 runs scored, three doubles, two home runs and eight RBI. Walsh extended his career-high hitting streak to 11 games and reached base safely for the 16th consecutive contest by going 2-for-3 with two walks, three runs and an RBI. August doubled to run his hitting streak to nine games, while Gerhart finished 3-for-4 with three runs, two doubles and two RBI. Kiilsgaard hammered his team-leading ninth home run during a three-hit, three-RBI effort, and Milleville also went deep for his eighth homer of the year.
Stanford also received some clutch relief pitching along the way. With the Cardinal clinging to an 8-6 lead in the sixth and Blake Jackson representing the go-ahead run, Blake Hancock came on to retire the California leadoff hitter on a groundout and escape the two-on, two-out jam. Max Fearnow overcame an error to leave the bases loaded in the seventh in a two-run game before pitching into the eighth. Drew Storen recorded the final four outs for his fifth save, including a strikeout of the potential tying run in the eighth to strand an inherited runner.
With the score tied 1-1 in the third, Stanford's offense went to work during a four-run inning off California starter Brian Diemer (1-5). Walsh led off with a single and scored one out later on Gerhart's first double of the night. After Kiilsgaard delivered an RBI-single, Milleville followed with a mammoth, two-run homer that nearly cleared the batter's eye in straight-away center field.
After the Bears cut the deficit to 5-3 with two runs in the fourth, three consecutive two-out, extra base hits by the Cardinal in the bottom half increased its lead to 8-3. With two outs and nobody on, August doubled to left and immediately scored on an opposite-field, RBI-double by Gerhart that slammed off the right-center field wall. Kiilsgaard then crushed a 1-2 pitch off the scoreboard in right-center for a two-run homer. With his effort tonight, Kiilsgaard went 11-for-22 (.500) with three doubles, a triple, three home runs and 15 RBI in five games this season against California pitching.
Stanford added an insurance run in the seventh on a double play grounder before scoring two more in the eighth. The Cardinal's eighth-inning rally featured two walks, four California wild pitches and a two-out, RBI-single by Walsh. Walsh's hit scored Wande Olabisi, who raced from first to third when a Michael Bugary pitch sailed to the backstop.
Cardinal reliever Kyle Thompson (1-0) earned his first collegiate victory by pitching 2.0 innings. The right-hander retired California in order in the third before Stanford plated four in the bottom half, then rebounded from a two-run homer in the fourth to set down the final three batters he faced. Brian Busick started for the Cardinal and allowed one run on one hit in 2.0 innings of work.
Stanford continues its season-long, seven-game homestand this weekend, as the Cardinal hosts Arizona in a Pac-10 series. Friday night's contest from Klein Field at Sunken Diamond is set for 5:00 p.m. PT, while Saturday and Sunday will begin at 1:00 p.m.