April 21, 2013
Box Score
STANFORD, Calif. - No. 17 Stanford weathered a seven-run second inning by 21st-ranked Arizona and received five innings of shutout relief from Sam Lindquist to earn a 12-8 series-clinching win. Lindquist punched out three and permitted one hit for his first win on the season, having already registered a save in the series opener on Friday.
In a drama-filled afternoon, Stanford (22-12 overall, 9-6 Pac-12) fell into a 7-2 hole after having its starting pitcher ejected in the second. The Cardinal responded by posting a four-spot in the bottom of the second and added five runs to put the game away in the fourth.
The final affair of the three-game Pac-12 Conference baseball series Sunday at Sunken Diamond marked the fourth straight series win for the Cardinal. It also spelled redemption for Stanford, which was swept by Arizona (25-14, 9-9) in 2012 as the Wildcats went on to claim its fourth national title.
With a combined 20 runs and 19 hits through the first five innings, neither team scratched across a run in the final four stanzas and mustered two hits over that stretch.
The Cardinal was backed by a career-high five RBI and three hits from Austin Slater. Slater was a home run short of the cycle. Slater also scored three runs, but was outdone in that column by Justin Ringo's four.
Ringo had a solo home run in the fifth to round out the scoring for both teams.
John Hochstatter got around a leadoff single with a double-play ball groundout to end the top half of the first.
Danny Diekroeger hit a 2-1 breaking ball to right-center for a two-out, two-RBI double in the home half.
One inning later, a pair of Cardinal errors loaded the bases. Instead of being out of the inning, Riley Moore sailed the 11th pitch of his pinch-hit cameo for a grand slam.
Joseph Maggie wore the next offering from Hochstatter, which prompted an immediate ejection by home plate umpire Ramon Armendariz.
Bobby Zarubin replaced Hochstatter and gave up a pair of quick singles as the Wildcats went on to take a 7-2 lead.
If the Cardinal was deflated, it didn't last long.
Stanford answered with Slater's team-high third triple to score two and Brian Ragira, who was a home run short of the cycle in Saturday's 10-9 loss to the Wildcats, got the round-tripper he was looking for to cut into Arizona's lead, 7-4, through two complete.
Stanford was nearly out of the fourth when Garrett Hughes mowed through the first two batters. Hughes walked the bases loaded and gave the Wildcats a free run.
Hughes walked six with three strikeouts in 2.1 innings.
Brant Whiting wore a pitch to start the home half of the fourth and was joined on base by Drew Jackson and Ringo. Slater doubled to left-center for three RBI and Ragira added an RBI single.
Alex Blandino completed the five-hit, five-run frame with an RBI single to opposite field.
The Cardinal hurlers did not send back the Wildcats in order until the sixth.
Hochstatter gave up five unearned runs on three hits with Arizona starter Tyler Crawford going 3.0 innings which saw him surrender seven earned runs on five hits.
The loss went to Stephen Manthei (1-2), who did not record an out in the fourth but gave up three earned runs.
Kevin Newman and Johnny Field had three hits apiece for Arizona.
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