STANFORD, Calif. – Opening a three-game series against Penn State on Friday, Stanford (1-4) walked 17 batters in a 15-4 setback at the hands of the Nittany Lions (4-1).
The Cardinal got on the board first in the bottom of the first, pushing two runs across on back-to-back walks with the bases loaded.
Sophomore Matt Scott had to labor through the early innings, escaping a bases-load jam in the first before stranding a runner in the second.
Penn State cut the deficit to one run in the third at 2-1 when Bryce Molinaro launched his first homer of the season out to left-center field on an 0-2 pitch. The home run got to Scott once more in the fourth as Grant Norris connected for a two-run shot with two outs to stake Penn State to a 3-2 advantage – a lead it would not relinquish the rest of the way.
Scott went out for the fifth inning, but walked the leadoff hitter in the frame before handing the ball over to the bullpen. The native of Redding, Conn. was ultimately charged with four runs on four hits and five walks while striking out seven over four innings.
Stanford's five relievers on Friday walked 12 hitters and allowed 11 runs on nine hits over the final five innings. Right-handers Ben Reimers and Jaden Bruno contributed one scoreless inning apiece.
Trailing 15-2 headed to the bottom of the eighth, Stanford managed to load the bases with nobody out, ultimately pushing two runs across in the frame on run-scoring ground balls from Cort MacDonald and Trevor Haskins.
The Cardinal will look to even the series on Saturday at 2:05 p.m.
GAME NOTES:
- Stanford is 1-4 to begin a season for the first time since 2020 when it started 1-8.
- Friday's game was the first that Stanford has scored first this season.
- Bruno, Luke Lavin and Brady Reynolds each made their collegiate debuts in the loss.
- Reynolds had a pinch-hit single in his first career at bat in the eighth inning.
- The 17 walks allowed are the most for the Cardinal since at least 2001, with the most since 2001 being 15 vs. then-No. 9 Arizona on May 8, 2021.
- Jimmy Nati (2-for-2, 2B, R) extended his hitting streak to five games … is now hitting .474 (9-for-19) with three runs scored, three doubles, a triple and five RBIs this season.
- MacDonald (1-for-4, RBI) extended his hitting streak to four games.
- Haskins (1-for-4, RBI) has now hit safely in five straight games dating back to the 2023 season.
- Including the seven from Scott, Stanford hurlers struck out 14 hitters … the Cardinal has now struck out 58 batters compared to just 28 offensive strikeouts through five games.