STANFORD, Calif. – Freshman Brock Sell lined a triple off the top of the wall in the bottom of the ninth inning to score pinch runner Philip Cheong from first base as Stanford (5-4) walked off with a 6-5 victory over Fresno State (4-4) on Friday in game one of a three-game series from Sunken Diamond.
Freshman Teddy Tokheim reached with one out in the ninth before being replaced by the speedy Cheong at first base. After a fly ball out for the second out of the inning, Sell laced the first pitch he saw off the wall and sent Cheong sprinting around the bases where he slid head-first home ahead of the relay throw.
Senior Nick Dugan did not factor in his third start of the season, working six innings and allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out six. Fellow senior Trevor Moore pitched the next 2 2/3 innings, allowing the game-tying run in the top of the seventh, while recording three strikeouts. Freshman Colt Peterson inherited a runner at first and two outs in the top of the ninth of a 5-5 game, and walked the first man he faced, but rebounded to record the final out of the ninth and set up the walk-off opportunity in the home-half of the frame.
The Cardinal launched a pair of home runs in the victory, with senior Jimmy Nati connecting for a go-ahead two-run shot – his first of the season – to break a 1-1 tie in the third. Nati, who finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, had previously erased an early 1-0 deficit with an RBI-single in the bottom of the first. After Fresno State plated three in the top of the fifth to reclaim a 4-3 lead, sophomore JJ Moran connected for his second home run of the season – a line drive out to left field leading off the bottom of the fifth to draw the Cardinal back even.
Doug Crystal was charged with the loss out of the Bulldogs bullpen, allowing the run in the ninth while working the final 1 2/3 innings. Crystal dropped to 1-1 on the season, while Peterson was credited with the win and moved to 1-0.
The Cardinal benefitted from three Fresno State errors, which led to three unearned runs.
The Cardinal and Bulldogs will continue the three-game series on Saturday when they meet for a 2:05 p.m. first pitch.