STANFORD, Calif. – No. 8 Stanford is off to its best start since 1998 after a 7-0 win over Michigan on Friday night at Sunken Diamond.
"These games are always tough to prepare for," said Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer. "With rain in the area, it's hard to sit around and not know when you're going to get to play."
Beck (2-0), making his third start of the season, took the Wolverines (2-6) for 7.0 innings, surrendering just two hits and one walk while striking out eight. Beck's earned-run average drops to 1.50 after the win, having missed the entire 2017 season through injury.
"Beck was outstanding tonight, getting ahead often and early and really looking sharp," said Esquer. "You have to applaud the defense behind him, particularly with Tim Tawa and Jesse Kuet making big plays."
Andrew Daschbach's second home run of the season in the seventh inning left no doubt, soaring well over the left field fence and over the trees beyond the wall. Alec Wilson and Kyle Stowers led Stanford with two hits apiece, the latter driving in two runs.
Stowers' two-out single in the fifth scored Daniel Bakst and Maverick Handley, and Wilson's two-out knock in the second brought home Stowers after Brandon Wulff scored on a wild pitch.
Austin Weiermiller pitched a perfect, 12-pitch frame in the eighth, and Daniel Bakst's two strikeouts in the ninth shut the door.
Stanford returns to action tomorrow for two more games against Michigan. The first game will start at 1 p.m. PT with Kris Bubic on the mound, and the second game is at 5 p.m. with Erik Miller expected to start. A live stream and statistics for both contests will be available at GoStanford.com.
Cardinal Notes
- The start is Stanford's best (9-0) since 1998 when the Cardinal started the season 17 games unbeaten.
- Brandon Wulff's hit streak extended to nine games.
- Daschbach's home run was his team-leading second of the season.
- Alec Wilson added a stolen base to his first two-hit game of the season.
- Stanford has 81 strikeouts in 81 innings of work.
- The Cardinal finished error-free for the fifth time this season – Stanford's has just six errors on the year.