PHOENIX, Ariz. – No. 12 Stanford wrapped up a season-opening four-game road trip with a 14-4 win at Grand Canyon on Monday at Grand Canyon University Ballpark.
Freshman Alex Williams, making his first career appearance, calmly shut down Grand Canyon in 6.0 innings of work to earn the win, scattering three hits and one walk while striking out five. Will Matthiessen was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI doubles, and Tim Tawa went 3-for-5 with two RBI, three runs and a double which nearly left the yard in left. Kyle Stowers scored three times, finishing 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI, and Brandon Wulff was on base three times, scoring twice and driving in two others. Brandon Dieter finished 2-for-5 with one RBI and Christian Robinson scored twice with a pair of walks.
"Today was much better offensively but throughout the weekend we pitched and played solid defense, and you saw more of that today," said the Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer. "We did a great job of manufacturing runs but today you saw what this lineup can really do. We still have a lot of room to improve but we're thrilled to get four wins to start the season."
The Cardinal (4-0-0) took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Brandon Dieter's first career hit, a double down the right-field line, scored Brandon Wulff before Alec Wilson brought home Christian Robinson with a sacrifice fly.
Williams worked through a pair of base runners in the third and Brandon Wulff made a terrific catch in foul territory in the fourth. Stanford plated three more runs in the fifth with a flurry of hits. Tim Tawa brought in Handley with an infield single, Andrew Daschbach's liner up the middle scored Kyle Stowers and Will Matthiessen's double off the left-field wall played Tawa.
Williams continued to pound the zone, working 1-2-3 innings in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames – he struck out two in the sixth to up his total to five.
Stanford blew it wide open in the seventh, plating five more runs. Brandon Wulff's bullet single to center brought home Stowers and Tawa and Matthiessen roped another double off the wall to score two more. Nick Oar, who pinch ran for Matthiessen, came home on Alec Wilson's two-out double down the right-field line.
The Antelopes (2-2-0) responded in the seventh after Austin Weiermiller replaced Williams. Grand Canyon loaded the bases, scored on a fielders' choice and brought in two more runs on a Stanford error.
Stanford opened up an 11-run lead with a four spot in the ninth. Kyle Stowers tripled home Wilson and Robinson, Tawa's double off the top of the left-field wall scored Stowers and Nick Brueser's single brought in Tawa. The Antelopes plated a run in the bottom of the ninth before Zach Grech shut the door.
No. 12 Stanford opens its 2019 home schedule on Friday when it plays host to UNLV at 6 p.m. PT in Game 1 of a three-game series. Live streaming and statistics will be available at GoStanford.com for all three contests. All ticket packages, including season and single-game tickets, are on sale at GoStanford.com.
Cardinal Notes
- Stanford's 14 hits were a season high.
- Monday's game was the first meeting between Stanford and Grand Canyon.
- Tim Tawa stole second in the first inning, his third stolen bag of the season.
- Nick Oar, Nick Bellafronto, Nick Brueser and Christian Molfetta entered the game in the seventh inning.
- Bellafronto laced a double into the right-field gap in the eighth inning.