STANFORD, Calif. – Leading 3-2 headed to the bottom of the eighth inning, Stanford (9-0) scored seven runs in the bottom of the frame to earn a 10-2 victory over Xavier (5-4) on Friday night from Sunken Diamond.
The Cardinal scored seven runs on six hits in the inning, highlighted by a two-RBI triple from freshman Tatum Marsh to get the scoring started. Trevor Haskins, who connected for a two-run home run to erase an early 2-0 deficit in the bottom of the third, doubled home Marsh to make it 6-2 before Rintaro Sasaki singled through the right side to run the advantage to 7-2. A sacrifice fly from Jimmy Nati plated the fifth run of the inning, while a Brady Reynolds single and a wild pitch chased home the final two runs.
The home run from Haskins marked his fifth consecutive game with a round-tripper.
Stanford gained momentum from the defensive side of the ball headed into the bottom of the eighth as sophomore Aidan Keenan inherited a runner at second with nobody out and the Cardinal leading 3-2. The right-hander induced a fly ball to left field before striking out Clay Burdette and Jason Jelic to strand a pair of runners – including the tying run at third.
Keenan took the ball from reliever Ty Uber who worked out of a jam of his own in the seventh inning. Uber issued a leadoff walk in the seventh before getting a soft line drive to shortstop that looked to be a sure-fire double play, but instead trickled under the glove of Temo Becerra and left runners at the corners with nobody out. Digging his heels in, Uber got a line out to Becerra for the first out of the inning before Isaac Wachsmann lined into a 5-3 double play to end the threat.
Junior Matt Scott got the start for Stanford and turned in his second consecutive quality outing, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks with five strikeouts over six innings. The right-hander worked himself into a handful of jams, but grinded through the six frames to earn the victory and move to 3-0 on the season.
Stanford will look to continue its winning ways on Saturday when the two teams meet for a doubleheader beginning at 1:05 p.m.
GAME NOTES:
- Stanford is 9-0 to start a season for the first time since opening the 2018 campaign at 10-0 - the first season under Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer … the nine-game win streak is the longest for Stanford since winning 17 straight from May 3 – June 3, 2022
- The Cardinal has scored 81 runs in nine games this season – an average of nine runs per game
- Stanford trailed 2-0 headed to the bottom of the third inning, but managed to record its fifth come-from-behind victory after scoring two in the third, one in the sixth on a sac fly from Temo Becerra, and seven in the eighth
- Charlie Bates (1-for-5, R) has hit safely in seven of nine games this year
- Trevor Haskins (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBIs) has homered in five consecutive games - the first player to hit a homer in five consecutive games since Brock Jones managed the feat in six straight from May 15-25, 2022 ... has hit safely in all nine games this season … has managed multiple hits in six of the last seven games overall to lead the team in multi-hit games (6) ... also leads the team in multi-RBI games (5)
- Aidan Keenan (1 IP, H, 2K) has allowed just two baserunners over five appearances and 5 1/3 innings
- Jimmy Nati (1-for-4, R, 2B, RBI) has hit safely in all nine games this season and carries a 13-game hitting streak dating back to 2024
- Ben Reimers (1 IP, 2 K) tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning and has allowed just two hits and two walks over his first five appearances and 8 1/3 scoreless innings this season
- Brady Reynolds (2-for-3, R, RBI) has hit safely in six of nine games this year, including multiple hits in four of the nine
- Rintaro Sasaki (2-for-4, R, RBI) has hit safely in seven of his first nine collegiate games, and has reached safely in all nine