Sun Devils Square Series

STANFORD, Calif. –  Stanford brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth inning, but failed to come up with its third straight walk-off in a 3-2 loss to Arizona State Friday night at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond. A Friday-night best 1,771 fans were on hand to witness the Cardinal’s first loss in its last four games.

“We had a chance to get there,” explained Mark Marquess, The Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball. “We did a good job in the ninth to get a double. We just couldn’t get him in.”

Tommy Edman led off the ninth inning with a pinch-hit double down the left field line, his second base hit coming off the bench in as many days. The Cardinal stranded him on a popped up bunt, a strikeout and a ground out to third, as Arizona State evened the series.

Stanford out-hit the Sun Devils, 9-7, and had three players pick up a pair of knocks. Danny Diekroeger, the hero of the last two games, Alex Dunlap and Drew Jackson led the Cardinal with two hits apiece. Stanford fell to 11-8 when out-hitting opponents.

The Cardinal spoiled a quality outing from freshman Cal Quantrill (3-4) in which he allowed just one earned run over six innings. He allowed five hits, walked three and struck out seven.

“We just didn’t get him enough runs,” said Marquess. “Good enough normally to win.”

Quantrill looked sharp through the first three innings before slowing down in the fourth. Arizona State swung and missed 12 times in the initial three frames on its way to five punchouts in the first 12 batters.

The Sun Devils opened the scoring in the fourth after a dropped popup turned a would-be solo homer into a two-run shot off the bat of Brian Serven. ASU followed with a single and a walk, before Quantrill balked and a sac fly brought in a third run. An error by the Cardinal earlier in the inning gave Arizona State an extra out, which they turned into a 3-0 lead.

Stanford, facing its second three-run deficit in as many days, was troubled by ASU lefty Ryan Kellogg (5-2). The former Canadian Junior National Team teammate of Quantrill went 7.0 innings, scattered seven hits and allowed only two runs, both of which were unearned.

Dunlap sent both Stanford runs to the plate, but it was with help from ASU’s defense. The potential third out of the sixth inning was botched by the shortstop, allowing Dunlap to come to the plate, and on Stanford’s left fielder’s single his counterpart in left let the ball roll under his glove. Zach Hoffpauir came all the way from first as the ball trickled to the wall.

The Cardinal was shut down in the eighth and ninth by Jordan Aboites and Ryan Burr, respectively. Burr picked up his eighth save of the season.

Chris Viall (1.1 innings) and Chris Castellanos (1.2 innings) combined to keep Arizona State off the board over the final three frames. The Stanford bullpen has gone 9.2 consecutive innings without allowing a run. 

The two teams get together for a rubber match tomorrow at 1 p.m. John Hochstatter (4-1, 2.84) goes against Darin Gillies (1-2, 4.47).