FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES
Stanford 4 – @ Oregon State 2
Cal 13 – @ USC 11
@ UCLA 9 – UC Riverside 5
@ Arizona 7 – Indiana State 6
(Corvallis, OR) – No. 10 Stanford (17-11-1, 6-3 Pac-10) stayed tied for first place at the top of the Pac-10 standings after a 4-2 victory over two-time defending College World Series champions Oregon State (16-12, 4-5 Pac-10) in the rubber game of a three-game conference series at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field on Sunday. Stanford and Arizona State are now co-leading the conference with 6-3 league marks. The Cardinal extended its three-game regular season series win streak to 10 with the win and stayed unbeaten in rubber games, series finales and on weekends.
“We’ve been able to play very well this season particularly when there is a lot on the line,” said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess.
“In order to keep pace in the Pac-10 you’ve got to win series,” added Cord Phelps, who was 5-for-10 with two homers and seven RBI in the first two games versus the Beavers before going 0-for-4 on Sunday. “Even though we lost Friday night, this series turned out well with the wins on Saturday and Sunday. It was a hostile environment and pretty intense playing against the two-time defending national champions on their home field.”
Jeffrey Inman (5-0) earned his fourth consecutive rubber game victory on the mound Sunday by not allowing an earned run and scattering seven hits and three walks with two strikeouts over 6.1 innings of work.
“If anybody doesn’t want to be there in that spot they shouldn’t be playing in baseball,” said Inman about winning his fourth straight rubber game.
Inman gave way to Drew Storen (1.0 IP) with the Cardinal leading 2-1, the tying run on second base and one out in the bottom of the seventh after Garrett Nash singled and was sacrificed to second base by Chris Hopkins to start the seventh. Storen got the final two outs in the inning to leave Nash stranded at third base and then picked up the first out in the top of the eighth before Hancock (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO) came into the contest. Hancock retired both batters he faced in the eighth and the first hitter in the ninth before allowing a double to Daniel Robertson, a walk to Nash and a single to Hopkins to load the bases with one out in the ninth and bring the winning run to the plate.
Michael Marshall (0.2 IP) was able to preserve the lead and earn his first collegiate save when he came into the game and got the second out of the ninth on pinch-hitter Lonnie Lechelt’s sacrifice fly and the final out of the game when Jason Ogata lined out to Joey August in left field.
“They told me to be ready to face right-handed hitters, and I was really excited to come into the ballgame in that situation,” said Marshall. “I wanted to throw strikes and keep the ball down. I believed in my stuff and that if I kept the ball in the bottom of the zone that I could get guys out. I’m happy that it fell to me for the final two outs.”
Oregon State had scored the first run of the ballgame in the second inning to take an early 1-0 lead. Drew George singled with two outs, moved to second when Inman threw a pickoff attempt into the stands and scored on a double by Jordan Lennerton.
Stanford had the bases loaded with no outs but couldn’t score in the top of the fifth before breaking through with one run in the sixth to tie the contest at 1-1. Brendan Domaracki started the sixth inning rally with a one-out walk and moved to second on a Reyes wild pitch but was thrown out at home by Wallace trying to score on Joey August’s single to left field. August was able to move to second on Wallace’s throw home and scored to tie game at 1-1 when Jason Castro greeted reliever Kraig Sitton (0.2 IP, 1 H) with a clutch two-out RBI single.
Stanford went ahead 2-1 with a run in the seventh off losing pitcher Mark Grbavac (0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB). Grbavac issued a one-out walk to Ben Clowe to get the Cardinal started before allowing the first of Zach Jones’ two doubles and Jake Schlander’s team-leading fifth sacrifice fly that plated Clowe.
Stanford added two important insurance runs in the top of the ninth when Sean Ratliff and Clowe led off the inning with back-to-back jacks.
Oregon State starter Jorge Reyes (5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO) was perfect through the first four frames and kept the Cardinal scoreless through five innings after getting out of a bases loaded situation with no outs in the top of the fifth unscathed.
Jones (2-4, 2 2B) was the only Stanford player with more than one hit. Lennerton (2-4, 2B, RBI) and Joey Wong (2-4) had a pair of hits each for Oregon State.
Stanford will be back in action Monday when the Cardinal hosts Santa Clara in a non-conference game at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond. First pitch is scheduled for 6 pm, PT. Neither team has announced a starting pitcher for the contest.
(Los Angeles, CA) – Thanks to the pitching of Matt Gorgen and Blake Smith, and the hitting of Michael Brady, Charlie Cutler and David Cooper, the No. 5-ranked California baseball team came back from an 11-9 deficit by scoring four runs in the last two innings on the way to a 13-11 victory over USC, Sunday afternoon at Dedeaux Field. The Golden Bears, who had fallen to the Trojans, 17-1 and 11-5 in the first two games of the series, improved to 23-9-2 overall and 5-4 in the Pac-10. The Trojans dropped to 18-16 and 6-6 in league play.
Cal pitchers Gorgen (3.2 innings, three hits, no runs, one walk, four strikeouts) and Smith (1-0, 2.0 innings, one hit, no runs, one walk, two strikeouts) were outstanding as they shut down USC’s offense in the last five innings after the Trojans had held an 11-5 lead after the first four innings. The Bears’ offense came alive as they tied the game, 11-11, in the eighth inning when junior shortstop Brady hit a lead-off homer to right field and Cutler later hit a solo shot to right off of Ryan Cabral. Cal finally completed the impressive comeback on junior first baseman Cooper’s two-run single off of Trojan reliever Robert Stock for the 13-11 win.
The Bears scored their first run of the game in the second inning on senior second baseman Josh Satin’s homer. Cal exploded for four runs in the fourth inning on sophomore center fielder Brett Jackson’s two-run double to right and Smith’s 2-run homer to center field.
In the fifth, the Bears scored a pair of runs on an RBI single by Satin, and Cooper scored on USC third baseman Hector Rabago’s fielding error. Cal added two more runs in the sixth inning to get within, 11-9, when Brady’s single scored sophomore catcher Dylan Tonneson, who had led-off the inning with a double, and later Cooper hit into a double play with the bases to score another run.
The Bears finished the day with 19 hits and four home runs, including four hits by Cooper (4-for-6, two RBI) and three hits apiece by Satin (3-for-4, HR, two RBI) and Brady (3-for-5, HR, two RBI).
The Bears will next travel to Pacific for a non-league game, Tuesday, Apr. 15 at 6:00 p.m. in Stockton, before hosting Washington in a three-game Pac-10 series, beginning Friday, Apr. 18 at 2:30 p.m. at Evans Diamond.
Home Runs:
Cal: Satin, solo home run in the second inning. Smith, two-run homer in the fourth inning. Brady, solo home run in the eighth inning. Cutler, solo home run in the eighth inning.
USC: Green, two-run homer in the fourth inning.
(Los Angeles, CA) – First baseman Casey Haerther and designated hitter Cody Decker totaled three hits to power the UCLA baseball team past UC Riverside, 9-5, Sunday afternoon, as the Bruins recorded their first three-game weekend sweep of the season.
UCLA (17-13) raced to a 5-0 lead after two innings, and left-hander Gavin Brooks (3-2) limited the visiting Highlanders (9-21) to four runs (two earned) and six hits in eight innings. Brooks, who earned his third victory of the season, recorded a season-high eight strikeouts, hurling at least eight innings for the second consecutive Sunday.
Haerther went 3-for-5 with four RBI and one run and one double. The Bruins’ first baseman finished the weekend hitting at a .667 clip, going 10-for-15 with two home runs, eight RBI and five runs.
Decker went 3-for-5 with one run and two doubles. Third baseman Jermaine Curtis, left fielder Alden Carrithers and second baseman Niko Gallego each recorded two hits – Curtis and Gallego each hit one triple.
UC Riverside left-hander Paul Bargas (1-4) absorbed the loss, surrendering eight runs and 11 hits in 4.1 innings. Drew Garcia, Joey Gonzales and Trevor Hairgrove each totaled two hits for the Highlanders.
The Bruins led from the start, scoring three runs in the first inning and two in the second. With Curtis aboard second and Crawford at first, Haerther brought home both runners with a double down the left-field line. Haerther moved to third after a single by Decker and center fielder Blair Dunlap lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, handing the Bruins a 3-0 cushion.
In the bottom of the second, Carrithers led off the inning with a double to left-center, moved to third on a fly out to right by Curtis and scored on Crawford’s triple to right-center. A single to center by Haerther sent home Crawford.
UC Riverside cut the Bruins’ lead to 5-3 in the third. After Hairgrove walked, center fielder Carl Uhl reached safely on a throwing error by Curtis. Gonzales singled to center and Garcia’s groundout sent home Uhl. A single to center by first baseman Aaron Wible plated Gonzales. The Highlanders scored another run in the fourth inning to trail 5-4.
UCLA responded with two runs in the fourth inning and one in the fifth. Carrithers led off the fourth with a single to center and scored on Curtis’ triple to right-center. A groundout to shortstop by Haerther sent home Curtis. In the fifth inning, Gallego lined a triple to right-center and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Carrithers.
The Bruins tacked on their ninth run of the afternoon in the bottom of the seventh. Decker registered his third hit of the day – a double to the left-center field gap – and scored from third on a single up the middle by Gallego.
UC Riverside cut the Bruins’ lead to 9-5 with one run in the ninth inning, before designated hitter Brandon Schnebly grounded into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded.
UCLA returns to action Tuesday, April 15, against Cal State Northridge. Both teams will resume a previously-suspended game at 4:30 that afternoon (UCLA leads, 22-2, entering the bottom of the eighth inning). The Bruins and Matadors will continue with the regularly-scheduled contest at 6 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Game Notes: Casey Haerther went 11-for-20 (.550) in four games during the week, collecting three home runs, three doubles, nine RBI, six runs and two stolen bases…Brandon Crawford went 8-for-17 (.471) in four games last week, registering two home runs, one triple, three doubles, six RBI and six runs…Gavin Brooks has posted a 2.20 ERA in his last two starts, earning the victory in each outing – Brooks has logged 12 strikeouts while limiting the opposition to six runs (four earned) and 10 hits in 16.1 innings…Alden Carrithers extended his season-long hitting streak to 11 games…Carrithers has hit safely in 26 of 30 games.
(Tucson, AZ) – Colt Sedbrook drove in pinch runner Hunter Pace with a two-out double in the ninth inning to cap off Arizona’s rally from a five-run deficit in series-sweeping 7-6 win over Indiana State on Sunday. The Wildcats fifth straight victory improved them to 20-11 for the season while the Sycamores dropped to 10-20 with the loss.
Sophomore Diallo Fon started the rally in the ninth with a two-out double to right-center. Pace replaced Fon at second but he wasn’t there for long after Sedbrook drilled a 1-1 offering from ISU reliever Nathan Inman over rightfielder Nick Ciolli’s head to end the contest. The double was the first of the season for the Arizona senior.
Trailing 6-1 after four and half innings, the Wildcats roared back to tie the game with five runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth. Senior C.J. Ziegler ignited the come-from-behind effort with a lead off double to right. Sophomore Dillon Baird followed with a single through the right side of the infield to place runners on the corners with nobody out and ISU starter Micah Spencer loaded the bases when he hit junior T.J Steele on a 1-2 offering.
Junior Jon Gaston, who was mired in a 2 for 27 slump heading into the at bat, made the Sycamores pay with single to center to plate Ziegler and Baird and cut the ISU lead to 6-3.
Classmate Brad Glenn followed Gaston with his fifth homer in his last eight games played to tie the game at six. Glenn’s three-run blast, his sixth of the season, cleared the left field wall despite being hit directly into a stiff Tucson wind that was measured at a steady 18 MPH with gusts up to 34.
On the mound, reliever Ryan Perry (2-2) rode to the rescue with 5 1/3 perfect innings out of the bullpen. The right-hander retired 16 straight ISU batters and finished with four strikeouts to pick up his second win of the year.
Indiana State jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first when UA starter Eric Berger allowed a three-run triple to David Brumagin after surrendering a two-out single sandwiched around a pair of walks to load the bases.
The Sycamores then countered Arizona’s single run in the bottom of the third with three more runs in the top of the fourth to push the lead to the ill-fated 6-1 edge.
ISU’s Inman (2-2) was charged with the loss after allowing Sedbrook’s game-winning hit in the ninth.
Arizona will travel to Albuquerque, N.M., on Monday for a two-game series against New Mexico on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Wildcats have not announced their starters for the series.
Note:
Arizona’s three wins over Indiana State marked its first weekend sweep since shutting out the field at the Whataburger College Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas, on March 7-9.
