March 6, 2011
AUSTIN, Texas-- Texas pitching held Stanford scoreless over the first seven innings, as the No. 6-ranked Longhorns (7-4) won the rubber game, 4-2 over the visiting Cardinal (6-5) on Sunday afternoon.
Sam Stafford (2-0) got the win, striking out seven through the first five innings, limiting the Cardinal to three hits, before exiting in the sixth following a one-out hit by pitch to load the bases. Reliever Kendal Carrillo then struck out Brian Ragira and got pinch hitter Eric Smith to ground out to keep it scoreless until the eighth.
Corey Knebel pitched the final 2.0 scoreless innings for his second save of the year.
The Cardinal loaded the bases in the eighth, before an RBI single by Ragira off of Knebel, his third hit of the day, and a double play made it 4-2. Carrillo retired his only two batters, before Stayton Thomas allowed two runs in the eighth.
Stafford twice worked out of trouble with Jake Stewart at the plate, getting the sophomore centerfielder to strike out in both the third and fifth inning, each time leaving runners in scoring position
Jordan Pries (2-1) could not get out of the fifth, as Texas scored three times over the first 4.2 innings to lead 3-0. Pries struck out four and walked two, giving up three runs on five hits.
Pries loaded the bases in the second with two-straight walks, before a wild pitch made it 1-0. Texas squeezed in the fifth to take a 2-0 lead after putting runners on the corners with no outs and then added to the lead with a two-out single from Brandon Loy, knocking Pries from the game.
A misplayed ball in center followed by a passed ball made it 4-0 off of Scott Snodgress in the sixth.
NOTES: Stanford takes 10 days off for finals and resumes play at home against Michigan on March 18 and 19... Pries made a nice play on a comebacker, converting a couple play to end the third... Kenny Diekroeger's outstretched glove at short in the fourth, robbed Erich Weiss of a base hit.