March 6, 2012
MORAGA, Calif.-- Kenny Diekroeger drove in three runs and No. 2-ranked Stanford (11-1) defeated host Saint Mary's (8-5) 5-0 on Tuesday afternoon.
Jake Stewart added a three-hit afternoon to take over the team lead in hitting (.404). Austin Wilson drove in the other two runs as a part of a two-hit day.
A.J. Vanegas (1-0) pitched the first 5.0 shutout innings, setting a career-high with five strikeouts, scattering three hits for the win. Vanegas, Sahil Bloom and David Schmidt combined a five-hitter.
Starter Ben Griset (1-1), after giving up two runs in the first, lasted until the fifth, at one point retiring six in a row before tiring and Stanford broke open the game with three runs against two Gael pitchers to lead 5-0 in the fifth. Griset gave up five runs in four-plus innings.
Diekroeger added to the lead in the fifth with an RBI single against a tired Griset. Austin Wilson then muscled a two-run single into right centerfield with the bases loaded against reliever Ryan Brockett to make it 5-0.
In a 5-0 game in the fifth, SMC put two runners on with two outs against all-WCC third baseman Patrick Wisdom, who walked against Vanegas, leading to all-time SMC home run king Troy Channing. Channing though flew out to right to end the threat and keep it scoreless.
A two-run single by Diekroeger gave Stanford an early 2-0 lead in the first.
NOTES: Wilson made a diving catch to rob Toby DeMello of a hit in the fifth, laying out on the warning track to make the catch... Wisdom slid to one knee in the sixth and took a base hit from Lonnie Kauppila on a grounder to third... Stanford has taken a first inning lead in eight of the first 12 games this year... Brian Guymon made his first start of the season, starting in left field. He was a part-time starter as a freshman last year... Stanford hosts No. 4-ranked Rice this weekend starting on Friday at 5:30 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at noon (and oh yes clocks spring forward this Saturday!).