Saturday SplitSaturday Split
Baseball

Saturday Split

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  • Game 1
  • Game 2
Box Score

STANFORD, Calif. - No. 17 Stanford broke off the rust from a 13-day break and earned a doubleheader split with Utah on Saturday. The Cardinal was shut out in the opener, 4-0, but exploded for 13 hits in a 6-4 win in the nightcap at Sunken Diamond. 

GAME 1
In its first game in nearly two weeks, Stanford managed just six hits and did not get a runner past second. Meanwhile, it was a defensive miscue that got the Cardinal behind early.

An error in the second inning turned a single into a triple and brought the first of two runs home for the Utes. Utah tacked on another in the fourth after a leadoff walk came around to score on a sacrifice bunt and single.

Sophomore starter Kris Bubic held the Utes in check for the next several innings, and the Cardinal had an opportunity to tie the game in the sixth. Matt Winaker and Nico Hoerner each singled with one out to bring the tying run to the plate. But a pair of strike outs ended the threat. 

Utah added an insurance run in the seventh with a two-out RBI double, and Utes starter Jayson Rose shut out the Cardinal through 7.1 innings. When Stanford chased Rose from the game -- behind Maverick Handley's first career hit and a walk to Hoerner - Dylan Drachler came in and closed out his fourth save of the season.

NUMBERS
Freshman Daniel Bakst recorded his second career two-hit performance, and Quinn Brodey had a double. Bubic had six strikeouts and was charged with all four runs in 6.1 innings of work. Freshman Will Matthiessen pitched another 1.2 scoreless innings of relief, and has yet to allow a run in the first 10.2 innings of his career. Fellow freshman Zach Grech did not allow a run in the ninth.GAME 2
Stanford took out its offensive frustrations on five Utah pitchers, led by the sophomore duo of Nico Hoerner and Duke Kinamon, who combined for seven hits.
 

It appeared the game was headed in the same direction as the opener when a first-inning error led to Utah's first run. But Kinamon and Hoerner got the Cardinal going in the second.

Kinamon led off with a double that dented the wall in centerfield. He scored on a sacrifice fly from Handley. Two batters later, Hoerner came through with a two-out, run-scoring single to center. Mikey Diekroeger touched home for a 2-1 lead.  

Utah (10-10, 1-4 Pac-12) regained the lead in the fourth, 3-2, via a hit by pitch, double and two-out RBI single.

Hoerner tied it back up in the home half with an RBI fielder's choice, but the Utes went back up one with a two-out RBI single in the seventh.

Stanford (12-6, 1-1 Pac-12) went ahead for good in the seventh. Kinamon started a three-run inning with a single. Diekroeger doubled down the left field line and Andrew Daschbach brought home the tying run, Kinamon, with a ground out. Two batters later, with runners at the corners, Winaker hit a chopper to second. It was misplayed and rolled into the outfield. Handley, running from first, made it to third, and then took advantage of a lackadaisical toss back to the infield and sprinted home. He beat the throw for a two-run lead.  

Junior closer Colton Hock calmly retired the last six Utes to earn his fifth save of the season.

NUMBERS
Hoerner had three hits and two RBI, while Kinamon tied a career high with four hits and two runs. Diekroeger was 2-for-4 with two runs, including the game-winner. Handley finished 1-for-3 with two runs and an RBI in his first career start, and the catcher also caught a runner stealing. Tyler Thorne (1-0) earned the win when he relieved starter Erik Miller and retired two hitters in the seventh. Miller allowed three earned runs and struck out a pair in 6.1 innings of work.

AND NOTABLES
This marked back-to-back doubleheaders for the Cardinal, though with a 12-day break – Stanford last played on March 12 and split a doubleheader at Rice ... Stanford has won 13 straight games when scoring three or more runs (10-0 this season) ... Jack Klein returned as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning after missing the last 11 games. 

WHAT'S AHEAD
These teams wrap up the three-game set on Sunday at 2 p.m. The game can be seen on Pac-12 Networks, but for those coming to Sunken, there is a free ice cream social before the game, postgame autographs with select players, and kids can run the bases after the game.