STANFORD, Calif. – Kyle Stowers sent the home fans packing in the 12th inning with a walk-off, two-out double to end a thrilling 7-6 win on Saturday at Sunken Diamond.
With two outs and runners on first and second, Stowers took a 3-1 pitch into the deep alley in left-centerfield, scoring Austin Kretszchmar, who came off the bench to finish 2-for-2. Andrew Daschbach and Brandon Wulff homered, and Tim Tawa and Will Matthiessen, who reached base four times, finished with two hits apiece. Wulff and Daschbach scored twice with the latter driving in a pair, and Jack Little's career day out of the bullpen kept the Cardinal (14-3-0, 2-0-0 Pac-12) in the game after squandering a big lead.
Walk-off winner!!! @kjstowers3 #GoStanford
A post shared by Stanford Baseball?? (@stanfordbsb) on Mar 23, 2019 at 6:18pm PDT
"Utah is a very tough ball club and they really pushed us today," said the Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer. "Guys like Jack Little and Maverick Handley kept us in it, but we have to do a better job of holding onto the lead when we get ahead early."
Little (3-1) earned the win, setting career highs in innings pitched (5.0) and pitches (77) while tying his career high with five strikeouts. Little entered in the eighth inning, pitching through a jam before dominating his final 4.0 innings – Little surrendered just one hit on the day. The brilliance of Handley behind the dish went a long way in keeping Stanford in the game – the junior threw out both of Utah's stolen base attempts and erased the lead runner in the eighth inning with the Utes (7-11-0, 1-4-0) threatening.
Watch out when @MaverickHandley is behind the dish... ?? #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/kc7D5QR1UI
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) March 24, 2019
Stanford wasted no time getting on the board, plating four runs in the first inning, starting with a bases-loaded walk by Daschbach to score Handley, who led off with a single. Stowers' deep drive to the warning track scored Brandon Wulff via a sacrifice fly, and Tim Tawa and Brandon Dieter's two-out singles to the right side each brought in a run.
Wulff made it 5-0 in the second inning with a solo home run into the trees beyond the left-field fence, but Utah responded with six unanswered runs, starting with three in the third. Oliver Dunn singled through the right side to make it 5-1 and Utah plated a pair on a sacrifice fly and ensuing throwing error by the Cardinal.
Utah manufactured another run in the fourth to chase starter Jacob Palisch (3.2 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 1 K), who made way for Cody Jensen. Erick Migueles' two-run shot in the fifth gave Utah its first lead of the series, 6-5, but the Cardinal responded with another solo shot in the sixth off the bat of Daschbach.
Carson Rudd relieved Jensen to start the seventh, working a 1-2-3 frame before Stanford threatened to take the lead in the home half. Matthiessen singled through the left side, but Kinamon was ruled out at the plate after a collision with catcher Zach Moeller.
After Rudd allowed a lead-off base runner in the eighth, Little entered from the bullpen and pitched through a jam, stranding runners on second and third. Brandon Wulff nearly ended the game in the ninth inning, sending a fly ball to the wall in left field that was caught.
Little continued to deal, striking out a pair in the ninth and quickly retiring the side in the ensuing frames to keep the game tied. Kretszchmar led off the 12th with a single, advancing on a sacrifice bunt before Stowers ended the game with his second RBI of the day, a walk-off, two-out double into the deep gap in right-centerfield.
No. 3 Stanford returns to Sunken Diamond for the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m. Live streaming and live statistics will be available at GoStanford.com.
Cardinal Notes
- Utah attempted a stolen base in the fourth inning, which was caught by Handley – Handley has caught all three stolen base attempts against him this season.
- Handley's reached base streak extends to 17 games to start the season.
- It was Stanford's second walk-off of the season – Robinson had a walk-off double in a win over UNLV (Feb. 23).
- Austin Kretszchmar entered to start the eighth inning, finishing 1-for-1 with a single.
- Grant Burton made his collegiate debut, pinch running for Daschbach in the 10th.
- Christian Robinson entered as a defensive substitution to start the 11th inning.
- Stowers moved from left field to first base in the 11th, his first career appearance at first base.
- Kinamon was ejected in the seventh after a collision at home plate.