STANFORD, Calif. – Andrew Daschbach hit two home runs and No. 2 Stanford evened the series at #21 UCLA with a 13-11 win on Saturday at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
"We did a great job of taking advantage of our opportunities after a tough night," said Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer. "UCLA hung in there and put up a lot of runs but credit our guys for battling after a tough loss."
Daschbach set career highs in hits (3) and RBI (5), becoming the first Stanford player this season to hit two home runs in one game and the first since Quinn Brodey in the 2017 Stanford Regional. Tim Tawa went 3-for-6 with one home run, two RBI and two runs, and Kyle Stowers went 2-for-5 with one home run, three RBI and two runs.
Stowers, facing a 0-2 count with two out in the first inning, launched his fifth home run of the season well beyond the wall in right field to make it 3-0. In the second, Tawa's solo shot made it 4-0 before UCLA (18-8, 7-4) responded with a solo home run of its own to make it 4-1.
After Nico Hoerner led off the third with a triple off the wall in center, Daschbach hit a lined shot that careened off the top of the batter's eye in center field, pushing Stanford's lead to 6-0. Nick Brueser's double and Tim Tawa's two-out single brought in two more runs in the third.
Christian Molfetta's two-out double in the fourth brought home Stowers before a four-run fifth inning for Stanford. Maverick Handley's line drive to left scored Tawa before Daschbach's second home run of the day, a towering shot to left center to make it 13-3.
"Daschbach, Tawa and Stowers have done a great job of stepping up at the plate all season, and we especially needed it today," added Esquer.
Jack Little earned his 10th save of the season, a two-out save after Stanford allowed five runs in the bottom of the ninth. Starting pitcher Kris Bubic lasted 4.0 innings, striking out four while allowing seven hits and five earned runs. Austin Weiermiller (5-1) was credited with the win, finishing the fifth inning after Bubic allowed two base runners. Daniel Bakst threw a career-high 51 pitches across three innings, striking out one while allowing one run and one hit.
The Cardinal (23-4, 6-2) is back in action tomorrow night for the rubber match at Jackie Robinson Stadium with first pitch set for 1 p.m. PT. Sophomore Erik Miller will get the call for Stanford, and live statistics will be available at GoStanford.com.
Cardinal Notes
- Hoerner scored two runs, reaching base twice in five plate appearances.
- Brueser registered his second career multi-hit game, finishing with one RBI and one run
- Stanford batted 8-for-15 with runners in scoring position and 9-for-18 with two outs – 10 of the Cardinal's 13 runs came with two outs.
- Tim Tawa's streak of games reaching base extended to 16 after his fifth home run of the season in the second inning.
- The run charged to Bubic in the second inning was his first earned run since March 9.
- Stanford has won each of Bubic's last 15 starts, a streak dating to April 14, 2017 that started with a win against UCLA at Sunken Diamond.
- It was Bubic's first non-quality start of the season.
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