STANFORD, Calif. – No. 2 Stanford made it seven in a row with a 9-0 win over Santa Clara on Tuesday night at Sunken Diamond.
"We didn't play very well for the first three innings, but this is a resilient group and we're playing well enough right now to keep winning games," said Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer.
The Cardinal (38-6 overall, 17-4 Pac-12) got home runs from Andrew Daschbach and Will Matthiessen, and nine shutout innings from its pitching staff. Brendan Beck (6-0) earned the win with 5.0 shutout innings, and Jacob Palisch, Matthiessen and Luke Sleeper combined for the final 12 outs.
A post shared by Stanford Baseball?? (@stanfordbsb) on May 8, 2018 at 9:36pm PDT
Matthiessen, the reigning Pac-12 Conference and Perfect Game National Player of the Week, struck out the side in the top of the eighth before launching his fifth home run in as many games in the bottom half. Matthiessen's home run was a three-run shot, giving Stanford a daunting 9-0 lead heading into the ninth.
Daschbach went 3-for-4, driving in three runs and scoring once. Daschbach opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, driving a double into right field to bring home Nico Hoerner. Beau Branton's single to center field in the third scored Alec Wilson and Will Matthiessen before Daschbach's team-leading 14th home run of the season in the fourth.
B4 | The 14th Dasch ?? of the year is a good one! Daschbach goes yard to lengthen Stanford's lead. That's his 2nd home run of the season against the Broncos.
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) May 9, 2018
??: 4
??: 0#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/GdxFyc1rLu
"I don't think I have ever seen that happen," said Esquer of Matthiessen's showing in the eighth inning. "He's kind of like Superman for us right now, and tonight was the best he has looked on the mound this season."
Daschbach added another RBI with a two-out single in the fifth, and Matthiessen's towering shot to left in the eighth put the Cardinal out of reach. Alex Waldsmith (0-6) took the loss for the Broncos (22-24, 8-13 WCC), who dropped a 16-8 decision against Stanford on April 2 in Santa Clara, California.
No. 2 Stanford returns to Pac-12 play on Friday when it opens a three-game series in Corvallis, Oregon, against No. 3 Oregon State at 7 p.m. PT. Saturday's game will start at 2 p.m. with Sunday's finale set for Noon – all three contests will air on Pac-12 Networks with live statistics available at GoStanford.com.
Cardinal Notes
- It was Stanford's 17th straight Tuesday win, a streak dating to 2016.
- The Cardinal has won seven in a row and 15-of-16.
- Beck threw 73 pitches, lowering his ERA to 1.42.
- Redshirt freshman Luke Sleeper made his first career appearance, striking out the final out.
- It was Stanford's sixth shutout of the season.