UW Shuts Down Cardinal

STANFORD, Calif. -- Brett Hanewich threw seven innings while allowing four runs, but the Stanford baseball team’s bats could not get going in a 4-2 loss Thursday in the series opener against Washington at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond. Stanford was shut down by three Huskies’ pitchers in the final seven innings after scoring once in each of the first two frames.

Stanford (11-15, 0-7 Pac-12) held a 2-1 lead after the second inning thanks to sac flies from Mikey Diekroeger and Jack Klein. Washington quickly erased the deficit with three runs in the top of the fourth, all with two outs, on three hits.

The big blow came on a roller between third base and shortstop that third baseman Diekroeger had ricochet off his glove in a diving attempt and get into shallow left field. That allowed two runs to score, before Josh Cushing doubled home another four pitches later to conclude the evening’s scoring.

Hanewich (1-3) had a final line of four runs on seven hits, two walks and seven strikeouts. He tied his season high in punch outs, including a 1-2-3 second inning on three straight swinging strike threes.

Washington’s Noah Bremer (4-2) threw the first five innings to get the win. He was not overpowering, striking out just one, but he scattered six hits to exit with the lead.

Brandon Choate and Troy Rallings finished off the Cardinal, which did not get a hit after the fifth inning. Choate went three hitless frames, striking out six, and Rallings earned his first save with a perfect ninth inning.

Drew Jackson led Stanford with a 2-for-3 day.

Stanford’s leading returning hitter and right fielder Zach Hoffpauir came back from a wrist injury to go 1-4 with a run scored. Hoffpauir had been out of the lineup since Feb. 14.

Washington has a chance to clinch its first series win at Sunken Diamond since 1997 on Pac-12 Networks tomorrow. The second game of the three-game set is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. PT.