AUSTIN, Texas – No. 7 Stanford tied a season high with 13 strikeouts and Kyle Stowers hit his first home run of the year in a 9-3 win at No. 23 Texas on Saturday at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
"You really like to see runs on the board early, especially on the road," said Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer. "The crowd can definitely be a factor here, and on a hot day these pitchers really had a chance to shine."
Jack Little earned his second nine-out save in a row, Andrew Daschbach had three RBI, and Stowers' first home run of the season in the top of the ninth left no doubt. With the Cardinal leading, 6-3, Stowers launched a three-run shot over the right-field fence to send the home fans packing.
#7 Stanford tied a season high with 13 K's in today's 9-3 win over Texas. ???? #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/L8hF9z8xcN
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) March 10, 2018
Austin Weiermiller (4-0) earned the win in relief, and Stowers, Nico Hoerner and Daschbach each finished with two hits. Stanford got on the board early courtesy of Daschbach, whose two-out double scored Brandon Wulff.
Stanford extended its lead to 5-0 in the second inning with a two-out, four-run rally. Tim Tawa got it started with a single to center, scoring Stowers from second before Nico Hoerner's line-drive single to center to score Jesse Kuet.
After an eight-pitch walk from Wulff, Daschbach stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. Daschbach drove a 0-2 pitch to center, bringing home Hoerner and Tawa to make it 5-0.
No doubt about this one from @kyle.stowers. ?????? #GoStanford
A post shared by Stanford Baseball?? (@stanfordbsb) on Mar 10, 2018 at 3:23pm PST
Erik Miller got the start, exiting after 3.2 innings of work. He struck out five, allowing four hits, three runs and one walk before making way for Weiermiller in the fourth. Weiermiller inherited a two-out, bases-loaded jam, needing just one pitch to escape the inning – Texas got back into it with a three-run home run before Miler's exit.
Weiermiller was replaced by Little after 2.1 innings, surrendering just two hits while striking out three. Little mowed down nine of the 11 batters he faced, allowing one hit and one walk for his Pac-12-leading sixth save of the season.
"We conditioned Little as a starter in the Fall, so we knew he had enough in him to finish the job," said Esquer. "Miller is moving in the right direction and he also showed today what he can do."
Stanford returns to UFCU Disch-Falk Field tomorrow for the series finale at 11 a.m. PT. Freshman Brendan Beck will likely start for the Cardinal with Chase Shuggart expected to throw for the Longhorns (9-6).
Cardinal Notes
- Stanford's 13 strikeouts tied a season high, set last week against Michigan.
- Stowers' home run was the second of his career – his only prior home run came in 2017 against Kansas.
- Stanford played its second error-free game in a row and the seventh of the season.
- Little's appearance was the first of this series and the first since a nine-out save in Sunday's 7-4 win against Michigan at Sunken Diamond.
- Stanford touched up Texas starter Blair Henley for five runs – entering today, Henley was 2-0 with a 0.53 ERA in 17.0 innings pitched.