April 16, 2013
STOCKTON, Calif. - Three multi-run frames and a five-hit effort from the pitching corps spelled victory for No. 17 Stanford Tuesday at Pacific. The Cardinal scored two in the first, three in the third and four in the eighth in the 9-2 non-conference baseball win.
The pitching corps retired 17 in a row until Brett Sullivan hit a one-out homer in the ninth. By that time, the Cardinal had put the game out of reach behind a relentless offensive attack that featured 15 hits. Eleven of those hits were singles and one of Stanford's nine RBI came with two away.
Winners of nine of its last 12 and two straight, Stanford (20-11) now prepares for this weekend's Pac-12 Conference series with defending national champion Arizona at Sunken Diamond.
Brian Ragira homered for third straight game, delivering a two-run shot in the first.
Pacific got one in the second before Stanford ended things with its second double play in as many innings. The Tigers were held scoreless for the next six innings.
Stanford chased Jake Jenkins (0-4) after 2.1 frames of six-hit ball. The next five Pacific (9-22) pitchers gave up four earned runs and struck out two.
Starter Bobby Zarubin (2-1) faced 18 batters in 5.0 innings, scattering one earned run on three hits. Zarubin made his exit in the sixth and reliever Dean McArdle punched in a perfect sixth.
McArdle was flawless with four strikeouts while facing the minimum in 3.0 innings.
Garrett Hughes struck out three in the ninth to silence the crowd at Klein Family Field.
Austin Wilson, Danny Diekroeger and Brant Whiting drove in third-inning runs as Stanford claimed a 5-1 advantage. The trio singled again singled in order to help produce four runs in the eighth as the inning was highlighted by Alex Blandino's three-run skyball to left.
Wilson had three hits and scored two runs from the four spot, leading five Cardinal with multiple hits. Blandino led all players with three RBI.
Whiting and Justin Ringo each enter this weekend's series on an eight-game hitting streak.
Stanford has recorded double-digit hits in each of its last two games.
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