May 11, 2012
STANFORD, Calif.-- Mark Appel (8-1) won his fourth straight start and No. 12-ranked Stanford (30-14, 12-10) won the series opener over visiting Washington State (24-21, 9-12 Pac-12) 3-2 before a sellout crowd of 3,877 in a brisk two hours and 24 minutes.
The righthander went the first 8.0 innings, giving up two runs on six hits with 10 strikeouts and one walk. A.J. Vanegas came on, and after giving up a one-out single and a two-out walk, finished the night off with a popout for his third career save.
Appel struck out 10 for the sixth time this season, striking out the side in the sixth and producing two strikeouts in the third and eighth innings.
Tanner Chleborad (4-2) took the loss despite a nine-hitter, where he gave up three runs and struck out two.
A two-out, two-run single by Danny Diekroeger gave Stanford a 2-1 lead in the fifth. Stanford loaded the bases with three singles in four at-bats, before the fourth single, Diekroeger's hit to right, gave Stanford its first lead of the night.
Back-to-back doubles by Brian Ragira and Austin Wilson an inning later made it 3-1 in the sixth. It was the first of two hits for Ragira.
The Pac-12's leading home run hitter, Taylor Ard, hit a solo shot to left in the eighth to cut the lead to 3-2. Appel though closed his night with a called strike three for his tenth strikeout of the season.
NOTES: Appel has given up two or fewer runs in each of his last six starts (5-0). It was his first walk in four starts (19.0-straight innings)... Brett Michael Doran sprawled out in shallow right and saved a run in a 2-1 game in the sixth, robbing Adam Nelubowich of a base hit... members of the Stanford women's basketball team were honored prior to first pitch with All-American Chiney Ogwumike firing a strike to catcher Wayne Taylor... former major leaguers Joe Morgan and Felix Jose, both with student-athlete children at Stanford, were in attendance... Saturday's game is at 2 p.m. and Sunday's game is at 1 p.m.