SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - The first five batters reached, including four by way of a hit, as Stanford scored six runs on five hits in the first inning to set the tone in an 11-6 victory over Nebraska on Monday from Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
With the victory, Stanford finished the opening weekend 2-2, while Nebraska suffered its first loss and dropped to 3-1.
Tatum Marsh opened the game with a triple into right-center field before Charlie Bates plated Marsh with an infield single – the first of three hits on the day for the sophomore shortstop.
Jimmy Nati followed with a double down the left field line before Brady Reynolds lined an RBI-single into right field to chase home Bates and make it 2-0. A walk to Rintaro Sasaki preceded a sac fly from JJ Moran that resulted in the first out of the game, but at the expense of Stanford’s third run.
Hitting seventh in the Cardinal order, Ethan Hott drew a hit-by-pitch to keep the line moving, setting the table for a two-RBI double inside the bag at third off the bat of freshman Nolan Stoll. The double was Stoll’s first career hit and ran Stanford’s advantage to 5-0. The Cardinal plated its final run of the inning one play later when Brock Sell turned in a productive groundout to second base that allowed Hott to scamper home.
All six runs were charged to Nebraska starter Colin Nowaczyk, as the left-hander dropped to 0-1 on the season while taking the loss.
The Cardinal lead ballooned to 9-0 in the third inning as doubles from Sasaki, Moran and Sell highlighted a three-run frame.
Nebraska managed to make a game of it in the middle innings, scoring four times in the third and twice more in the fifth to cut the deficit to 9-6 after five.
Three of those six runs were charged to freshman starter Brock Ketelsen, who made his collegiate pitching debut and logged 2 2/3 innings with two strikeouts in a no-decision.
Sophomore Cohen Gomez recorded the final two outs of the fifth inning, and turned in a 1-2-3 sixth to settle the waters and eventually earn the victory. The right-hander allowed just one walk over his 1 2/3 innings and moved to 2-0 with the decision.
Still leading 9-6 entering the eighth, Stanford added two insurance runs to provide some breathing room. Bates got the inning started with a double for his third hit of the day before eventually coming in to score on a wild pitch. Moran capped his 2-for-4 day with an RBI-double that scored Reynolds just a few batters later, running his game total to three driven in.
Taking over for Gomez in the seventh, senior Sam Garewal made his season debut and recorded a trio of strikeouts in a scoreless inning of work. Kassius Thomas allowed a single and hit a batter to start the eighth, but settled in to retire the side without incident. Senior Trevor Moore was the final Cardinal pitcher used in the victory, logging a scoreless ninth with one strikeout and benefitting from a spectacular diving catch at the wall in right field by T. Marsh to end the game.
The Cardinal will return home next week for a home-opening four-game series against Cal State Fullerton. The set begins on Friday at 2:05 p.m.