STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford led 1-0 and carried a no-hitter through two outs in the seventh inning, but Santa Clara’s Luke Devine delivered a two-RBI single for the first hit to turn the deficit into a lead as the Broncos (14-21) defeated the Cardinal (16-17) 2-1 on Wednesday night from Sunken Diamond.
Santa Clara and Stanford combined for just six total hits in the game, as Stanford finished with four compared to Santa Clara’s two.
The Cardinal plated its run in the second inning as Nolan Stoll hit a one-hopper to first base with the bases loaded that resulted in JJ Moran scampering home.
Stanford had an opportunity to extend the lead in the fourth, but eventually stranded the bases loaded – three of 12 left on base for the Cardinal in the setback.
The unique pitchers’ duel saw Stanford use six pitchers compared to Santa Clara’s 10 as the two teams combined for 16 hurlers over the nine innings.
Toran O’Harran got the start for Stanford and worked the first two perfect innings with one strikeout. Sam Garewal worked the third and Colt Peterson retired the side in the fourth and fifth.
Stanford pitching was perfect through 4 2/3 innings before Charlie Bates was charged with a throwing error to allow the first Bronco baserunner with two outs in the fifth.
Working his second inning and carrying the no-hitter into the seventh, Brock Ketelsen got the first out via a fly ball before issuing a walk and a hit-by-pitch to put two runners aboard. Bates made a spectacular play at shortstop for the second out, but the runners each advanced into scoring position for Devine. After working ahead 1-0 in the count, Devine laced the next offering into left field for the go-ahead single, break up the no-hit bid and put Ketelsen on the hook for his first career loss.
Freshman Mike Erspamer took over for Ketelsen following the single and escaped further damage by way of a strikeout – the first of our over 1 2/3 innings for the southpaw.
The Cardinal once again had an opportunity to break through in the eighth as a trio of walks, including a pair with two outs, loaded the bases. Reliever Josh Johnson, the ninth of the 10 Santa Clara pitchers used, escaped the jam and left them loaded after striking out Brock Sell for the final out of the frame.
Senior Kassius Thomas was the last reliever used by the Cardinal, tossing a scoreless ninth inning to keep the Cardinal within a run.
Needing a rally in the final stanza, Bates managed to pull a two-out single through the right side against Santa Clara’s RJ Meyn, but Moran flew out on the ensuing play to end the game.
Stanford will remain at home this weekend, welcoming Miami to Sunken Diamond for a three-game series in ACC play. The opener of the set, which is also Stanford’s Players’ Weekend, is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. on Friday.
GAME NOTES:
- Charlie Bates (2-for-4, BB) had been hitless in his previous six games before posting a pair of hits on Wednesday … has hit safely in all but 11 games this season
- Eric Jeon (1-for-3, BB) has hit safely in eight straight games and has reached in 14 straight
- Rintaro Sasaki had a five-game hit streak end on Wednesday … failed to reach base for just the third time this season
- Teddy Tokheim had a 15-game hit streak and a 25-game reached base streak snapped … failed to record a hit for just the fourth time in his 27 games played and did not reach for just the second time, including the first in a game in which he batted more than once