STANFORD, Calif. – Opening the 2024 season with a doubleheader against Cal State Fullerton on Friday, Stanford (0-2) dropped both ends of the set to the Titans (2-0) from Sunken Diamond.
The Titans took game one 4-0 before slugging their way to a 15-6 victory in the second contest.
Sophomore Matt Scott got the Opening Day nod, striking out a career-high nine hitters in 5 1/3 innings, but was saddled with the loss after allowing four runs on eight hits.
Virtually all the damage was done in the third inning for Cal State Fullerton, as back-to-back doubles from Moises Guzman and Draven Nushida plated all three runs.
A leadoff walk came back to haunt Scott in the sixth, as Nushida drew the free pass and moved to second on an errant pickoff throw. Matthew Bardowell made the mistakes hurt, lacing a double into right-center field to make it 4-0.
The run support proved enough for the duo of Christian Rodriguez and Peyton Jones. Rodriguez went six shutout frames, allowing three hits and three walks with two strikeouts, to earn the victory. Jones tossed the final three scoreless, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out four, to convert the save.
Stanford had opportunities in game one, but hit into a pair of inning-ending double plays to end threats in the third and fifth innings.
Behind Scott's nine punchouts, Stanford finished the opener with 16 strikeouts. Sophomore Kassius Thomas struck out four over 1 2/3 innings, while freshmen Joey Volchko recorded two in a scoreless eighth inning. Grad student Nathan Fleischli finished the game on the hill, punching out one in a 1-2-3 ninth.
While Stanford's bats heated up in the second game, Cal State Fullerton also improved its offensive prowess, plating 15 runs on 15 hits, to record the doubleheader sweep.
Nushida went 2-for-5 with a double, a triple and three RBIs in the finale, while Colby Wallace totaled four RBIs, including three on a three-run home run in the third inning.
Including Wallace, three Titan players finished with three hits in the second game, while nine of the 15 Fullerton hits went for extra bases.
Jimmy Nati, Charlie Saum, Saborn Campbell and Temo Becerra each totaled two hits in the loss for Stanford, with Saum connecting for his first career home run – a solo shot in the second.
Nati and Campbell highlighted their days with triples, with Nati's three-bagger driving in three in the fifth.
Freshman Christian Lim was charged with the loss in his first career start, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out two over 1 2/3 innings.
Seth Tomczak was credited with the victory after striking out five batters in the final 2 1/3 innings for Cal State Fullerton.
With rain set to hit Stanford hard on Saturday, the Cardinal and Titans will look to conclude the three-game series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
GAME NOTES
- The shutout loss to open the season was the first for the Cardinal since being blanked 1-0 at No. 8 Cal State Fullerton on February 16, 2017
- 2024 marks the 11th time since 2000 (12th overall) that Stanford has opened the season with a three-game series against Cal State Fullerton … the Cardinal is now 7-4 in the 11 series since 2000 and is 19-13 overall in those games
- Having dropped the opener at Fullerton a year ago, Stanford has lost the season opener in back-to-back years for the first time since losing three straight from 2013-15
- Stanford dropped both ends of a doubleheader for the first time since 9-7 and 11-10 losses vs. Oregon State on April 9, 2005
- The Cardinal has dropped the first two games of the season for the first time since losing the first two to Cal State Fullerton in 2020
- After registering the 16 strikeouts in the first game on Friday, Stanford pitching notched 13 more in game two to finish the day with 29 punchouts
- Scott's nine strikeouts surpassed his previous career high of seven at California on April 7, 2023
- Stanford never led over the 18 innings on Friday
- Freshmen Champ Hampton, Volchko, Lim, Ryan Speshyock, Ben Reimers and Aidan Keenan all made their debuts in the games on Friday … transfers Thomas and Brandon Larson also appeared in their first game with Stanford
- Gabe Springer (3B) and Ethan Hott (CF), who did not appear for Stanford as freshmen in 2023, made their collegiate debuts as starters in the second game
- Hott and Hampton each collected their first career hits – both singles – in their first career at bats