STANFORD, Calif. – No. 2 Stanford shut down Fresno State's offense to earn a 2-0 win on Tuesday night at Sunken Diamond.
"These midweek games are tough, and I credit our guys for coming out focused and getting the job done against a good team," said the Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer. "Our whole pitching staff was excellent, starting with Will Matthiessen and ending with Jack Little, and we're looking forward to a great series this weekend."
Five Cardinal (19-3-0) pitchers combined to allow five hits, earning Stanford's second shutout of the season. Tim Tawa drove in the winning run with an RBI double in the sixth, and Nick Brueser's sacrifice fly doubled the lead shortly thereafter. Little picked up his sixth save of the season, and Austin Weiermiller (W, 4-0) earned the win. Stanford has won 24 consecutive midweek games, a streak dating to April 26, 2017, and has won 10 games in a row since March 7.
Starter Matthiessen, making his first career start, made way for Alex Williams after 3.0 innings of shutout ball. Matthiessen stranded a runner in each of his frames, finishing with three strikeouts while scattering two hits and one walk. Stanford had a chance to score in the third with the first two batters reaching base, but both were stranded.
Matthiessen made way for Williams, who tossed 2.0 innings of shutout ball while striking out two and allowing two hits. In the fourth, Williams pitched through a lead-off single to induce a double play, picking up the final out of the inning with one of his two strikeouts.
After Austin Weiermiller worked a one-two-three sixth, Stanford finally broke the 0-0 tie in the home half. Matthiessen led off the inning with a double, eventually scoring on Tim Tawa's double down the left-field line. The Cardinal doubled the lead courtesy of Nick Brueser, whose sacrifice fly to deep left center brought in Daschbach.
WATCH | @tim_tawa breaks the scoreless tie with this RBI double past the third baseman, scoring @willmatthiessen, who started this one on the hill.
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) April 3, 2019
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Cody Jensen took over to start the seventh, striking out a pair in his first frame, a one-two-three inning. After Stanford went down in order in the home half, Jensen returned to work the eighth, striking out his third Bulldog before making way for Little with two out and a runner on first.
Little pitched through a first-and-third jam in the eighth and returned for the ninth to put down the Bulldogs in order in the ninth, needing just 11 pitches to register four outs.
No. 2 Stanford opens a three-game series against No. 1 UCLA on Friday at 6 p.m. Game 2 will start at 2 p.m. on Saturday with Sunday's finale set to take place at 1 p.m. Live streaming and live statistics will be available at GoStanford.com.
Cardinal Notes
- It was Stanford's second shutout of the season 15th game allowing two earned runs or less. It was the seventh game in which Stanford has allowed five or less hits.
- Handley extended his reached-base streak to 23 games – he has reached base safely in all 22 games this year and in his final appearance of 2018. Handley also threw out the only stolen base attempt against him – he has thrown out 5-of-7 attempts against him in 2019.
- Little's 22 career saves rank third in program history and four behind program record holder Steve Chitren's 26 (1986-89).