PULLMAN, Wash. – Opening a three-game Pac-12 series against Washington State on Thursday, Stanford (15-4, 3-1 Pac-12) scored a season-best 18 runs on a season-high 22 hits, while receiving a strong pitching performance from senior Brendan Beck, to defeat Washington State (12-9, 1-6 Pac-12) by a score of 18-3.
Every Stanford starter had at least one hit, led by Brock Jones who went 4 for 5 with a grand slam and a career-best six RBIs. The grand slam highlighted a four-run eighth inning that followed a six-run seventh for the Cardinal.
The home run was Jones' team-leading eighth of the season, and marked the second grand slam of the year for the Cardinal (Christian Robinson vs. Santa Clara on February 25).
Stanford has now managed a player with six RBIs in two of its last three games after Tim Tawa collected six against Fresno State on February 28.
After a scoreless first inning, Stanford plated a pair of runs in the second and one in the third to open up an early 3-0 advantage.
Washington State drew within a run on a two-run homer from Collin Montez in the third, but Stanford responded right back in the fourth as Adam Crampton connected for his first career home run – a solo shot to the opposite field to run the tally to 4-2.
Henry Gargus' first career homer kept the momentum going in the fifth before Crampton capped the three-run frame with an RBI-single back up the middle.
Leading 7-3 after six innings, the Cardinal blew the game wide open in the final third of the contest. Drew Bowser doubled-home a pair of runs in the seventh before RBI-singles from Tawa, Jones and Kody Huff finished off the six-run seventh.
Following Jones' grand slam in the eighth, Crampton, who finished 3 for 6 with four RBIs while hitting out of the eighth spot in the order, delivered the final blow for the Cardinal in the ninth, lacing a ball off the top of the wall for an RBI-double that ran the tally to 18-3
Junior Vincent Martinez also finished with three hits on Thursday, going 3 for 5 with three doubles and three runs scored. The three-double game is the first for the Cardinal since Daniel Bakst had three against Washington on May 21, 2017. Martinez is now hitting a team-best .417 (25 for 60) with three doubles and four homers this year.
The Cardinal finished the game with nine extra-base hits – six doubles and three home runs. Stanford has now belted 28 round-trippers through 19 games this season.
While the offense proved to be the story on Thursday, Beck impressed en route to improving to 4-0 on the season with the victory. The right-hander dealt eight innings and allowed just three runs on seven hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.
Freshman Tommy O'Rourke took over in the ninth inning, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts to seal the victory.
Washington State starter Brandon White was saddled with the loss and fell to 3-2 after allowing seven runs on 12 hits and two walks over five innings.
Stanford and Washington State will continue the three-game series on Friday at 5 p.m. The game will air live on Pac-12 Networks.