March 1, 2013
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STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford's two first-inning provided enough support for All-American Mark Appel to work with as the senior pitcher matched a career-high with 14 strikeouts in Friday's 2-0 win over No. 22 Texas. Appel (2-1) hurled a complete-game three-hitter and issued one walk for No. 14 Stanford, which improved to 7-2 with its sixth straight victory.
Texas fell to 6-3 as Parker French (2-1) suffered his first loss on the season. Park was tagged for two earned runs on six hits in 7.0 innings.
The two teams resume the three-game series at 1 p.m. (PT) Saturday at Sunken Diamond.
Appel walked a Longhorn batter in the first inning before retiring 13 straight to take a no-hitter into the sixth. Texas' first hit came on a sharp two-out infield grounder to second base, which was fielded by a barreling Danny Diekroeger whose effort to throw out speedster Matt Moynihan was not enough. Appel got out of the sixth with his ninth strikeout on the night.
The senior righty also took a no-hitter into the fifth during a three-hit win over Texas in 2012.
Appel has struck out double-digit batters in each of his last two outings.
Texas' Codey McElroy hit a two-out double in the eighth and Moynihan started the ninth with a single to left-center. Appel fanned the next batter and induced Erich Weiss double-play ball to end the game.
Stanford wasted no time in taking its 2-0 lead behind three hits in the first.
Jonny Locher slammed the first pitch he saw down the leftfield line for a leadoff double and scored on Diekroeger's single up the middle. Diekroeger advanced to third on the play when Texas committed the first of its three errors on the evening. Diekroeger would score on a wild pitch.
Brian Ragira nearly collected his second home run on the season when his sixth-inning shot caromed back into play off the top of the leftfield fence.
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