(Stanford, CA) – A big six run fifth inning in which everything seemed to go the Cardinal way proved the difference Sunday afternoon at Sunken Diamond, as Stanford defeated Arizona State 10 to 2, and took the game as well as the season series. With the victory Stanford head coach Mark Marquess notched his 1,300th career victory.
From the start the Sun Devils had an aggressive approach, as Jason Kipnis lead off the first inning with a single. Ike Davis followed with a double and Petey Paramore brought them both home with a single down the left field line. But those would be the only two runs ASU would score all day, as twelve additional runners would be stranded on base and a total of 33 would be left on the weekend.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Stephen Sauer got himself into trouble by giving up a leadoff single to Joey August. Next, designated hitter Austin Yount followed with a single to center field. Things would unravel for the Devils however on the subsequent play as Zach Jones placed a sacrifice bunt down the wrong side, but after quickly fielding the bunt Sauer overthrew Marcel Champagnie covering at third and as the ball got to the bullpen fence, August scored. That would be it on the day for Sauer, as Reyes Dorado would make his 13 relief appearance. After a walk, Cord Phelps hit a sacrifice fly to short center field that Kipnis quickly fired home, so that as Yount tried to tag up from third base on the play, Paramore was waiting with the ball for him at home. However, Yount was somehow called safe, and with that call momentum had clearly shifted. A Brendan Domaracki double to the right field corner was next, a hit by pitch, a walk and a Joey August double in between two strikeouts would give the Cardinal their biggest inning of the year, as six runs crossed the plate.
Sophomore Jeffrey Inman picked up his fourth win of the year, giving up eight hits, five walks and just the two runs in five innings of work. While junior Blake Hancock earned a save as he pitched the final four inning, walking just one and striking out four.
Sunday had the biggest crowd of the year as 2,171 people came out to watch the deciding game of the series. After the game Marquess spoke about his 1,300 wins and summed it up by stating, “it just means I’ve been coaching a long time and have had a lot of good players.”
