STANFORD, Calif. – Sophomore starter Kris Bubic and freshman reliever Will Matthiessen held No. 1 Oregon State in check, but the No. 15 Stanford baseball team fell, 3-1, in the series opener at Sunken Diamond on Friday night.
Stanford (14-7, 2-2 Pac-12) had its three-game winning streak snapped, while Oregon State (22-1, 7-0) won its 17th consecutive game.
The Beavers went ahead just three batters into the game and never trailed. The Cardinal had the tying run on third with one out in the bottom of the eighth, but could not get the best of Oregon State starter Luke Heimlich, who improved to 5-0 with a complete-game effort.
Nick Madrigal singled to start the night, and scored from first when K.J. Harrison doubled off the wall in left.
Bubic (2-4), who struck out six in 5.2 innings, worked around a leadoff double in the third and left the bases loaded. However, he did not escape trouble in the fifth. After a leadoff walk, his pick off attempt went wide and the runner went to third. Trevor Larnach doubled him home for a 2-0 edge.
Stanford responded in the home half. Mikey Diekroeger drew a walk to start the inning, and Brandon Wulff followed with a single to left. Following a sacrifice bunt from Jack Klein, Matt Winaker's fly to center cut the deficit in half. It was just the third run Heimlich has allowed this season in more than 50 innings.
B5: @mattwinaker cuts the deficit in half. Diekroeger scores on the sac fly and its a one-run game ?? #GoStanford https://t.co/BvT4gluGyW
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) April 1, 2017
Klein doubled to start the eighth and was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. But the Beavers pulled the infield in and held Klein on a ground out to second. Another ground out to second ended the threat.
Matthiessen was stellar again. He struck out four and allowed just two hits in 3.1 innings. The Beavers scored in the ninth to end Matthiessen's 16.2-inning scoreless streak to start his career.
T8: A dash of @DukeKinamon and a whole lot of @willmatthiessen makes for an efficient 1?-2?-3? inning #GoStanford https://t.co/6SIUKvxp2Z
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) April 1, 2017
NUMBERS…
Bubic allowed just five hits and two runs ... Freshman Daniel Bakst extended his hitting streak to seven games, which is now the longest active streak on the team
B4: Freshman @DanielBakst extends his hitting streak to 7? games #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/Rb88lTeGik
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) April 1, 2017
AND NOTABLES
Matthiessen has an ERA of 0.53 on the season ... Stanford dropped to 11-3 at Sunken Diamond this year ... Coach Marquess remains one win away from becoming the fifth coach in NCAA history to reach 1,600 career victories.
WHAT'S AHEAD
Saturday features Bark in the Park Day – or more fittingly, Ca-NINE Day – at Sunken Diamond against No. 1 Oregon State. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. The series will conclude on Sunday at 1 p.m. where there will be postgame autographs with select players and kids can run the bases after the game.
SOCIAL SCENE
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