Feb. 23, 2013
STANFORD, Calif. - Pinch hitter Brett Michael Doran crushed a three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th to give No. 11 Stanford a 7-4 walk-off win against Fresno State on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon at Sunken Diamond.
With two runners on base, Doran showed bunt early in the count then let loose on a moonball to deep left as the Cardinal (4-2) won its third straight to take the series from Fresno State (1-4).
Doran capped off a game that saw four lead changes as the two teams combined for 22 hits and 17 stranded runners in the non-conference baseball matchup.
Fresno State trailed by a pair after the seventh but tallied a run in the eighth and ninth to force the extra inning. Alex Blandino led off the 10th with a single to left-center, Lonnie Kauppila was hit by a pitch and Doran stepped in to pinch hit for Jonny Locher before doing the deed.
The two teams meet at 1 p.m. (PT) on Sunday to conclude the three-game affair. Complete coverage will be available at GoStanford.com.
Danny Diekroeger put Stanford ahead in the first by scoring on Brian Ragira's single to center. Ragira led all Cardinal batters with a 3-for-5 showing and drove in a pair.
Fresno State took a 2-1 lead when Taylor Ward went yard in the third off of John Hochstatter. Hochstatter was steady in 6.1 innings, striking out seven with one walk and a pair of earned runs surrendered in 6.1 innings.
Daniel Starwalt gave up four hits and two runs - one earned - in relief before Garrett Hughes (1-0) took to the mound in the ninth. With one runner on base and a 2-2 count to Jordan Brink, Hughes entered the game and needed one pitch to get out of the inning.
Ragira singled with two away in the fifth and was joined on base by Justin Ringo when Bulldogs catcher Trent Garrison was called for interference. Austin Slater singled down the rightfield line as Ragira's unearned run tied the game at 2-2.
Kauppila doubled a full-count delivery to left and trotted home on Wayne Taylor's two-out sacrifice fly in the sixth. Ragira belted the first Cardinal home run on the season, a solo shot to left to put the Cardinal ahead in the seventh, 4-2.
Bulldogs starter Derick Velazquez held Stanford to two unearned runs in 7.0 innings. Velazquez was tagged for eight hits and did not receive enough help from a Fresno State defense that committed five errors.
Tyler Stirewalt tossed 1.0 innings of scoreless relief and Jordan Brink (0-1) took the loss after giving up three earned runs on two hits. Stirewalk fanned one in 1.0 frame.
Chris Mariscal paced the Bulldogs with a 3-for-4 day.
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