STANFORD, Calif. – Continuing a four-game series with UC Irvine (6-6) on Saturday, Stanford (9-2) split a doubleheader from Sunken Diamond, earning a 6-1 victory in game one before dropping a 5-1 decision in game two.
Stanford received a stellar pitching performance from sophomore Quinn Mathews in the opener, as the lefty twirled a career-best eight innings and allowed just one run on four hits and one walk with six strikeouts. The only real offense UC Irvine was able to manage was a solo home run from Sam Ireland in the third inning.
The Cardinal was held scoreless through five innings of game one, but a Tim Tawa RBI-double plated Tommy Troy with two outs in the sixth to draw the Cardinal even at 1-1.
A pair of Stanford home runs resulted in a four-run seventh, highlighted by a three-run homer from freshman Drew Bowser. The round-tripper was the first of Bowser's career and came two plays after Vincent Martinez connected for his third in as many games.
With a home run in three straight contests, Martinez became the first Cardinal to manage the feat since Will Matthiessen homered in three straight from April 23-27, 2019.
Stanford would add one more in the eighth to carry a 6-1 into the ninth – plenty enough for Mathews to collect the victory and move to 2-0 on the season. Freshman Brandt Pancer sealed the victory with a scoreless inning of work out of the bullpen.
UC Irvine reliever Josh Ibarra was saddled with the loss in game one after allowing four runs on four hits over a third of an inning. Starter Nick Pinto pitched well in the no decision, allowing just the one run on three hits with five strikeouts over six innings.
Michael Frias got the start in game two for the Anteaters, as the right-hander dealt five hitless innings with four strikeouts to eventually earn the victory and improve to 2-0 on the season. Gordon Ingebritson, Dylan Riddle and Jacob King took UC Irvine the rest of the way, with Ingebritson allowing Stanford's lone run in the sixth.
Tawa reached with two out in the sixth and scored on Henry Gargus' RBI-double off the wall in right-center field, but that would be all the production Stanford could muster.
Freshman Drew Dowd was charged with the loss after allowing three runs on five hits over five innings of work. The left-hander struck out a career-best seven hitters and did not issue a walk.
Five Cardinal relievers took the mound behind Dowd, with Jonathan Worley, Joey Dixon, Tommy O'Rourke and Nathan Fleischli combining to pitch the final 3 1/3 scoreless.
Stanford will look to take three of four in the series tomorrow when it closes the four-game set with UC Irvine at 1:05 p.m.