May 28, 2010
STANFORD, Calif.-- Jordan Pries (4-3) feasted on his second No. 2-ranked team of the season. The Stanford righthander pitched into the ninth to lead the No. 25-ranked Cardinal (31-22, 14-12 Pac-10) to a 5-2 victory over No. 2-ranked Arizona State (46-8, 19-7 Pac-10) on Friday evening to even the series.
Pries combined with Alex Pracher on a seven-hitter, allowing no runs until Pracher gave up a two-out, two-run single in the ninth. Pries pitched to four over the minimum over the first eight innings, shutting down the nation's 14th-ranked offense with six hits.
Tiring in the ninth, he walked two of his three batters, striking out six on the night. Pracher walked the bases full, before Raoul Torrez drove in the only runs. A popup of Johnny Ruettiger ended a brisk two hour and 37 minute affair.
It was the second time this season Pries had shut down a high powered offense.
Against No. 2 UCLA in March, Pries pitched a complete game eight hitter against the nation's sixth-best offense, snapping UCLA's 22-game win streak to start the season.
In tonight's game, his receiver, backup catcher Ben Clowe drove in two runs and threw out two basestealers, going 2-for-4. Eric Smith added three hits.
Stanford got on the board in the second with a two-run, two-out double from Tyler Gaffney, before a two-out RBI single by Jake Stewart in the fourth made it 3-0. Gaffney finished with two hits.
A Clowe groundout in the fifth made it 4-0, before his RBI single in the seventh added another run to make it 5-0
Merrill Kelly (9-2) went the first 7.0 innings for the Sun Devils, giving up five runs (three earned) on 11 hits.
The regular season finale will be on Saturday at 1 p.m. Announcements for the NCAA Regional sites will occur on Sunday and the 64-team field will be announced on Monday at 9:30 a.m on ESPN.
NOTES: Shortstop Jake Schlander made the play of the night, diving for a ball headed up the middle, getting up and throwing out Drew Maggi at first in the eighth to preserve the shutout...Pries picked off his fifth runner of the game in the fourth, Kole Calhoun at second base... the 14 Pac-10 wins surpass last year's 13-14 record... in pregame ceremonies, national champion men's volleyball and women's tennis, which both won titles over the past month, were honored with first pitches and a pregame video produced by video director Bud Anderson.