DAVIS, Calif. – Stanford baseball waited through two rain delays during Monday's matinee at UC Davis, but neither was comparable to the wait for John Hochstatter, who returned to the mound for the first time in over a year. The final will also have to wait as the game was suspended due to darkness in the ninth with Stanford leading, 12-9, and will resume when the Aggies visit Sunken Diamond on May 17.
Completed Recap (May 17)
Stanford led 5-0 before the Aggies scored seven in the bottom of the sixth. The Cardinal, led by a career-high four hits from freshman Duke Kinamon, answered with its own seven run inning to retake the lead.
Hochstatter started in his first outing since Tommy John surgery last spring. Nearly 400 days after his last start, and a brief rain delay that pushed back the start of the game, he picked up where he left off. The Danville, Calif., native, who has won 17 career games for the Cardinal, held UC Davis scoreless through 2.1 innings. He allowed just one hit and struck out one before the rain started falling again.
Stanford built a 3-0 lead prior to the second rain delay. All the scoring came in the third when Bryce Carter led off with a walk and Nico Hoerner singled him to third. Sophomore Quinn Brodey followed with an RBI single up the middle. A walk loaded the bases, a passed ball scored a run, and Mikey Diekroeger's sacrifice fly to center made it 3-0.
After about a 35 minute delay in the bottom of the third, Stanford tacked on a run in the fourth -- Hoerner reached on a two-base error and freshman Brandon Wulff singled him home -- and fifth -- Kinamon doubled, and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Jack Klein.
UC Davis scored seven times in the bottom of the sixth. The first eight Aggies reached base. The ninth hit a blast to deep left, but Kinamon made an incredible diving catch over his left shoulder with the bases loaded. The runner tagged from third for the go-ahead run, but it kept Stanford within striking distance.
The Cardinal then answered with its own seven-run inning. Stanford loaded the bases to start the eighth. Carter singled home a run, and then Klein scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 7-7. Hoerner and Diekroeger each added two-RBI singles, and sophomore Matt Winaker capped the offensive outburst with another RBI single.
UC Davis added two runs in the eighth to close to within three. The game was called before the ninth inning could begin.
Pac-12 play begins this week for Stanford as the Cardinal hosts Washington State at Sunken Diamond, Thursday-Saturday. First pitch is at 6 p.m., on Thursday and Friday, and 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Welcome back, John! pic.twitter.com/JimJEICQaK
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) March 21, 2016