May 24, 2013
Box Score
STANFORD, Calif. - Mark Appel entered Friday's game against No. 8 UCLA in a three-way tie for Stanford's career strikeout record. It didn't take long for the flamethrower to distinguish himself as the program's sole record holder, as he fanned the first batter of the game on three pitches for strikeout No. 364 to set himself apart from previous record holders Kyle Peterson (1995-97) and Justin Wayne (1998-2000).
Appel, who also moved into seventh on the all-time charts with his 28 career victory, improved to 10-4 on the season to keep Stanford's postseason hopes alive with the 2-1 triumph at Sunken Diamond.
Appel punched out nine and gave up one earned run on three hits in 8.0 innings. It was the 25th time in the last 29 starts the righty has lasted at least seven frames to move his career total to 377.2 innings pitched, good for fourth in the Cardinal annals.
Stanford (31-21 overall, 15-13 Pac-12) won its fifth straight while UCLA (38-16, 20-8) saw its four-game winning streak come to a close. UCLA entered the league series with the nation's best record in one-run games at 15-1.
Appel fanned the side in the first on 10 pitches and allowed UCLA's earned run on a bit of third-inning small ball.
The Cardinal got all the runs it needed in the sixth with two of its five hits on UCLA starter Adam Plutko (7-3). Plutko was rattled on Justin Ringo's leadoff double down the leftfield line, followed by Austin Slater's triple off the left-center wall. Brian Ragira gave the Cardinal its 2-1 lead with a sacrifice fly.
UCLA left two in scoring position to end its half of the sixth and left one stranded in the eighth.
Garrett Hughes earned his fourth save behind a pair of ninth-inning strikeouts to preserve Stanford's ninth win over a top-25 opponent this season.
Brian Carroll had a head from the leadoff spot and drove in UCLA's only run.
The series continues at 7 p.m. (PT) Saturday and will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks.
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