LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Junior Chris Castellanos pitched seven strong innings, and junior Alex Dunlap supplied a two-run home run to lead Stanford baseball to a 4-1 win at UCLA on Thursday night.
In a Homecoming for Castellanos, the Long Beach, Calif., native had a large cheering section at Jackie Robinson Stadium. He did not disapoint as he matched a career best with seven innings, and allowed just one earned run. He surrendered just five hits, did not walk a batter, and struck out three.
Dunlap gave Castellanos all the run support he needed with a no-doubt-about-it blast to left field in the top of the second. Mikey Diekroeger continued his hot streak with a single to right, and Dunlap followed with his first home run of the season for a 2-0 edge.
Tuesday night's home run hero, Jonny Locher, singled home Diekroeger, who was on base for the 11th time in his last 16 plate appearances, to give Stanford a 3-0 lead after the top of the fourth.
UCLA (12-15, 4-6 Pac-12) got its first base runner and run against Castellanos in the bottom of the inning to get within two.
Stanford (16-8, 5-2), which has now won four in a row, including three straight Pac-12 games, got that tally back in the top of the seventh. Junior shortstop Tommy Edman brought home Dunlap with a sacrifice fly to left.
Castellanos pitched into the eighth inning, but was relieved with two runners on and the tying run at the plate. Junior Tyler Thorne left the bases loaded to maintain Stanford's three-run lead.
Sophomore Colton Hock retired all three Bruins he faced in the ninth to earn his third save of the year.
NEXT UP: This three-game set continues on Friday (7pm) and Saturday (4:30pm). Both games can be seen on the Pac-12 Network.
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Felt like a home game in LA with the Catellanos Clan there. He put on a good show for them w/his 4th win of the year pic.twitter.com/Ek7ibo2P5b
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) April 8, 2016