STANFORD, Calif. – Fifth-year senior Zach Grech, one of the nation's top closers with 13 saves this year, took the ball in his second career start on Friday, tossing a career-high four scoreless innings and allowing just two hits to guide No. 9 Stanford (33-13, 17-9 Pac-12) to a 5-0 shutout victory over Oregon State (33-22, 15-14 Pac-12) to clinch the three-game series victory from Sunken Diamond.
Making the start on a bullpen day, Grech threw 53 pitches and worked into the fifth before handing the ball to freshman Tommy O'Rourke with two aboard and nobody out. O'Rourke escaped the jam, striking out one over his one inning of work.
Senior Jacob Palisch contributed the next three scoreless innings, surrendering just two hits and a walk while striking out three. Freshman Joey Dixon finished off the shutout with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
For his efforts, Grech was credited with the victory and moved to 5-5 on the season. The start was Grech's 100th career appearance for Stanford.
Sophomores Kody Huff and Brock Jones guided the way offensively, with both players finishing 3 for 3. Huff fell a home run shy of the cycle, delivering a single in the first, an RBI-double in the third, and an RBI-triple in the eighth, eventually finishing with two runs scored and the two RBIs.
Jones came around to score on all three of Huff's hits, scampering home on an errant throw home following the single in the first to put the Cardinal on the board.
Huff's RBI-double in the third extended the Cardinal lead to 2-0 before senior Christian Robinson followed suit with a double of his own to plate Huff and the third Stanford run.
Adding two more insurance runs in the eighth, Huff tripled home Jones and scored on a single back up the middle from senior Nick Brueser to run the tally to 5-0.
Stanford's consecutive shutouts are the first for the Cardinal since blanking USC and San Diego in consecutive games on March 25 and March 27, 2018, respectively.
Stanford will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday before the Cardinal looks to close the regular season with a sweep of the series against the Beavers. First pitch for the series finale is set for 12:35 p.m. on Pac-12 Networks.