STANFORD, Calif. – Sophomore Brandon Wulff played the national anthem, and then delivered a crucial two-out, two-run single to help No. 9 Stanford to an 8-4 win over Washington on Friday night.
It was also Fireworks Night at Sunken Diamond, and junior Matt Winaker provided some in the seventh inning for the standing-room only crowd of 3,436 with a go-ahead, two-run home run just moments before Wulff's big hit.
Stanford (35-14, 16-9 Pac-12) trailed 4-3 entering the seventh. Junior Jesse Kuet singled to start the inning, and Winaker dispatched the first pitch he saw over the trees in right field to put Stanford on top.
Nico Hoerner and Quinn Brodey followed with singles, and Daniel Bakst walked to load the bases for Wulff. The right fielder, a skilled pianist who played the national anthem on a keyboard, smacked a line drive back up the middle to bring home two Cardinal and extend the inning. Senior Jack Klein added an RBI single and the lead was 8-4.
? Light up the field ? Light up the skies #GoStanford #FinalSeas9n
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Senior reliever Tyler Thorne tossed the final two innings for the Cardinal. He retired all six batters he faced to clinch Stanford's 16th win in its last 18 games, including an 11-2 mark against Pac-12 teams in that time.
It was a back-and-forth affair as Washington (26-23, 12-13) scored first, but Stanford led 3-1 after three. The Huskies rallied back to tie the game in the fifth and took the lead in the sixth before the Cardinal scored five in the seventh.
A sacrifice fly got the scoring started as the visitors went up 1-0 in the top of the third.
Stanford answered right back with three of its own. The Cardinal got four straight hits. The biggest was off of Brodey's bat. He doubled home a pair with an opposite-field shot that one-hopped the wall in left. Bakst followed with a single to right, and Brodey raced home for a 3-1 advantage.
The Huskies tied it in the fifth. An error, followed by a double brought one run home, and the Huskies used a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly to tie it at 3-3.
An inning later, AJ Graffanino's two-out double to right put Washington ahead, 4-3. But Stanford rallied in the seventh.
NUMBERS…
Every Stanford starter had a hit as the Cardinal out-hit the Huskies, 14-3. Hoerner, Brodey, Wulff, Klein and Kuet each had two hits, while Winaker, Brodey and Wulff each had two RBI. Brodey and Kuet also scored twice.
Starter Kris Bubic (5-6) struck out six and allowed just two earned runs and three hits in seven innings.
AND NOTABLES
Kuet has multiple hits in three of his last four games and is 9 for his last 14 (.643) … Stanford has won five straight Pac-12 series openers (4-0 in previous four series) … Winaker has reached base in 20 consecutive games—a career best and the longest streak for a Cardinal since Alex Blandino reached in 31 straight in 2014 … Wulff and Maverick Handley have each reached base in a career-high nine straight games … Duke Kinamon has a hit in six straight games … A lefty has started 40 straight games for the Cardinal ... Stanford is 32-0 when tied or leading after seven innings this season ... Stanford is 35-8 when scoring at least one run this year.
WHAT'S AHEAD
Stanford has two more home games remaining. Saturday (2 p.m.) is Coach Marquess bobblehead and trading card giveaway day. The final chance to see No. 9 in the Stanford dugout at Sunken Diamond is Senior Day on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Cardinal, which sits in second place in the Pac-12 with a 15-9 mark, concludes the regular season at Washington State, May 25-27.
SOCIAL SCENE
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#GoStanford