STANFORD, Calif. – No. 13 Stanford captured its season-opening three-game series against No. 17 Cal State Fullerton with a 5-3 win on Saturday at Sunken Diamond.
"Pitching and defense are what will drive this team, and that was on display today," said Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer, who assumed head coaching duties for the first time on Friday after Mark Marquess' retirement in June. "Kris Bubic really showed what he can do today, and he has lots of room to grow. I was happy with how both he and Tristan [Beck] threw this week, and that's what you want out of your two best arms."
Bubic made his first start of the season for the Cardinal (2-0), earning the win after posting five strong innings. The junior escaped a jam in the fifth to finish with four strikeouts, no walks three hits and one run. Jack Little, who threw two scoreless innings on Friday night, earned his first career save with a one-two-three ninth inning.
Sophomore Kyle Stowers had a career day, going 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and Stanford's first two RBI in the second inning. With men on first and second, Stowers drove one down the right field line, eventually scoring on Tim Tawa's double down the opposite line.
Two batters later, Tawa scored on a fielders' choice, giving Stanford and Bubic a comfortable 4-0 lead after four innings. The Titans (0-2) struck back to produce a run in the fifth, but Stanford answered when Daniel Bakst drove in Nico Hoerner in the bottom half. Cal State Fullerton tacked on runs in the seventh and eighth innings, but the comeback effort came up short with Stanford shutting the door quickly in the bottom of the ninth.
Stanford returns to Sunken Diamond Sunday when it hosts Game 3 against Fullerton at 1 p.m. PT. Sophomore Erik Miller is expected to take the mound for Stanford, with Tanner Bibee starting for the Titans. A live stream and statistics will be available at GoStanford.com.
Cardinal Notes
- Zach Grech pitched a scoreless inning for the second consecutive day.
- Jacob Palisch made his debut on Saturday, striking out two in a scoreless sixth inning before exiting in the seventh.
- Stanford plays its first road game of the season on Monday when it travels to play UC Davis in Davis, California.
- Duke Kinamon sat out for the second consecutive after sustaining an injury prior to Game 1 on Friday.