STANFORD, Calif. – The Cardinal put up 15-or-more runs for the third consecutive game, scoring 15 on 14 hits, including five home runs and two doubles, to earn a 15-6 victory and a four-game series sweep of visiting Utah Valley on Monday.
With the win, Stanford improved to 11-12 on the year. Utah Valley dropped to 10-13 after losing all four at Sunken Diamond.
As it did in the previous two games in the series, Stanford used a big inning to take control of the contest – this time scoring eight runs in the second to turn a 2-0 deficit into a lead it would not relinquish the rest of the way.
Eric Jeon, who batted 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs, got the scoring started with a game-tying two-run homer before a Rintaro Sasaki single handed the Cardial the lead. A wild pitch and a passed ball allowed the next two Cardinal runs to score before a walk to JJ Moran put two men aboard for Jimmy Nati. The senior unloaded on the first pitch he saw, sending it 468 feet out to left-center field for his sixth home run of the season.
The Cardinal went back-to-back in the bottom of the third as freshman Teddy Tokheim launched his sixth round-tripper of the year to chase home Tatum Marsh who had reached with a double to start the inning. Charlie Bates followed with a mammoth homer of his own – sending a 2-2 offering into the right field trees 459 feet from home plate. The homer was Bates’ team-leading seventh of the season.
Marsh finished the game 3-for-5 with a double, three runs scored and one RBI.
After Utah Valley scored twice in the top of the fourth to run the tally to 11-5, Stanford padded its lead further in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three more runs – highlighted by a two-run homer from Cort MacDonald. For MacDonald, the home run was his first of the season.
Jimmy Nati concluded a 2-for-3 day at the plate in the bottom of the fifth, lacing an RBI-double down the line in left field to drive in his fourth run of the game, cap the scoring, and hand Stanford a 15-6 lead.
Sophomore Austin Steeves recorded his second victory of the series out of the bullpen, tossing a scoreless second inning. Seven Cardinal pitchers combined to navigate eight innings as the game ended after eight due to travel curfew. Toran O’Harran, Andrew Shaw and Trevor Moore each contribute a scoreless inning of relief to hold Utah Valley off the board over the final three frames.
Stanford will return to ACC play next week, traveling to Virginia Tech for a three-game series beginning Friday at 3 p.m. PT.