STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford (10-2) received a stellar pitching performance from freshman Brandt Pancer in his first collegiate start en route to collecting an 8-6 victory over UC Irvine (6-7) on Sunday to take three of four from the Anteaters from Sunken Diamond over the weekend.
Pancer allowed just one run on three hits over six innings of work. The right-hander, who improved to 2-0 on the season with the victory, struck out three and did not issue a walk. Pancer retired 11 straight hitters following a leadoff double in the third and handed the ball over to the bullpen to start the seventh.
Offensively, the Cardinal plated four runs on five hits in the second inning, highlighted by RBI-singles from Nick Brueser, Christian Robinson, Adam Crampton and Tommy Troy, to jump out to the early lead. Brueser finished the game 2 for 4 with two runs scored, a double and the RBI.
Robinson and Crampton also managed a pair of hits, with Robinson going 2 for 4 with three RBIs. His two-RBI single in the fifth extended Stanford's advantage to 7-1 after five innings.
In addition to his RBI-single in the second, Crampton contributed an RBI-double in the fourth to finish 2 for 4 with two driven in.
Stanford would add a run on a bases-loaded walk in the sixth to open up an 8-1 advantage, but UC Irvine managed to plate five runs on five hits in the seventh to cut the deficit to two at 8-6.
Fifth-year senior Zach Grech entered in the eighth and thwarted any further Anteater momentum, retiring all six batters he faced to record his fifth save of the year.
Grech, who struck out two on Sunday, has now made seven appearances this year, allowing just two unearned runs on five hits with 15 strikeouts and no walks over 13 innings of work.
The Cardinal will now prepare to host Utah in a three-game series this weekend to open Pac-12 play. Game one of the series is set for 6:05 p.m. on Friday.
