PHOENIX, Ariz. – All good things must come to an end. Arizona State snapped the longest active winning streak in the nation as No. 13 Stanford fell 9-6 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Sun Devils came away with the lead after a wild start, and hung on to snap Stanford's 11-game winning streak, which was the program's longest winning streak since 1999. The Cardinal had won eight straight Pac-12 games, eight consecutive road games and seven straight Pac-12 road contests.
Stanford (30-13, 13-8 Pac-12) trailed 5-1 after the first, but tied the game at 5-5 in the second. The Sun Devils added three in third and then held off the Cardinal the rest of the way.
Stanford scored in the top of the first in its sixth straight Pac-12 road game. A walk, hit by pitch and RBI groundout from freshman Daniel Bakst made it 1-0.
However, one week after shutting down the top offense in the Pac-12, senior starter Chris Castellanos (7-2) was touched up for five runs on five hits in the first inning.
The Cardinal made up the entire deficit in the top of the second. The Sun Devils walked the bases loaded and Matt Winaker brought a run home with a sacrifice fly. The inning appeared over on a ground ball to third, but an errant throw brought home another run and set up a game-tying, two-run single from Quinn Brodey.
?? error extends the inning and @quinnbrodey2 ties the game! #GoStanford https://t.co/ThQcRdgtd8
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) May 7, 2017
But the Sun Devils (20-24, 7-14) chased Castellanos with three more in the third. Bakst hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth to get within 8-6, but the hosts answered with a run to go back up three.
It turned into a pitcher's duel after that. Senior Brett Hanewich kept the Cardinal in the game. He struck out five, and allowed just one run and four hits in 5.2 innings in relief. But the Cardinal bats could not solve Connor Higgins, who gave up just one earned run in 7.2 innings of relief.
NUMBERS…
Nico Hoerner, Jack Klein and Brodey all went 2-for-4 to account for all six of Stanford's hits (all singles). Five different Cardinal scored a run as Hoerner scored twice. Freshman catcher Maverick Handley walked twice and scored. Castellanos registered seven outs and surrendered eight runs, eight hits and two walks.
AND NOTABLES
Stanford had not trailed in any of its previous six road games … Stanford's 11-game winning streak and eight-game Pac-12 winning streak were the program's longest since 1999 … Winaker has reached base in 14 consecutive games—longest streak of the season for the Cardinal and one off his career high … Stanford's last loss was in 10 innings to UCLA (7-6) on April 15 (21 days), and its last nine-inning loss was to UCLA (2-0) on April 13.
WHAT'S AHEAD
The Cardinal returns home on Tuesday for head coach Mark Marquess final midweek game at Sunken Diamond. Naturally, it occurs on the 9th of May. All ticket prices are set at 1977 prices in honor of "Nine" and his first season as head coach of the Cardinal.
More winning streaks are stake. Stanford has won 14 straight Tuesday games at Sunken Diamond, eight in a row against non-conference opponents and eight straight home games against non-conference teams.
SOCIAL SCENE
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Photo courtesy of Lisa Whiting
#GoStanford
.@ASU_Baseball @NCAACWS .@SunDevilRay23 played under 9?, and like 9?, was a two-sport standout at Stanford #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/w0AswqKKcW
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) May 7, 2017