Stanford 6 – @ UCLA 1
Washington 7 – @ Cal 4
@ Arizona 6 – WSU 5
UCSB 23 – @ USC 2
Media Releases
(Los Angeles, CA) – Erik Davis tossed his fourth consecutive complete game and No. 10 Stanford (21-11-2, 8-3 Pac-10) extended its season-high win streak to six straight with a 6-1 victory over UCLA (18-16, 3-5 Pac-10) at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Saturday. Davis (6-1) also earned his fifth victory in as many outings, striking out a career-high 13 batters that is the most by a Stanford pitcher since 2004. Stanford clinched its 11th straight regular season three-game series with the victory and moved 1.5 games ahead of second place Arizona State in the Pac-10 standings prior to the Sun Devils’ game against Oregon State on Saturday evening in Tempe.
Davis lost a bid for his first career shutout when he wild pitched home a run in the eighth but avoided a potentially bigger inning by striking out the side after the Bruins had loaded the bases with no outs on three consecutive singles by Brent Dean, Alden Carrithers and Jermaine Curtis to start the inning.
Davis would strike out the side in order in the ninth to finish the game with six consecutive strikeouts.
“It’s just me taking one inning at a time,” commented Davis about his performance. “The way I judge my performance is not based on the outcome but rather if I gave my team a chance to win. Other than my first outing this year, I think I’ve given my team a chance to win every time since. I’m really happy with that, and hopefully I can keep it up.”
Stanford scored all six of its runs after two were out in a fifth inning that equaled the team’s season-high for production in a single frame.bUCLA starter and losing pitcher Charles Brewer (4.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 SO) got two of the first three batters in the inning out but a Zach Jones single in between outs by Brent Milleville and Jake Schlander was enough to get the Cardinal to the top of the lineup. With Jones having moved up to second on a Schlander groundout, Brewer intentionally walked Cord Phelps to get to Brendan Domaracki, who made UCLA pay with a ground rule double to bring home Jones. Joey August drew a walk to load the bases before Jason Castro came through with a clutch two-run single to put Stanford ahead 3-0 and Randy Molina dropped a bomb to double the lead.
“That inning was just like some of the other ones we’ve had this year,” said Molina. “We have a lot of guys in the lineup that are clutch in big situations. We kind of feed off the hitter in front of us and feel a personal responsibility to come through for the team. That feeling has helped us all year.”
Castro (3-5, 2 RBI), Molina (2-5, HR, 3 RBI) and Jones (2-3) had multiple-hit games for a Stanford team that outhit UCLA, 11-7.
Carrithers (2-3) was the only UCLA player with more than one of UCLA’s seven hits, all singles, as Davis was the story of the game.
In the first inning, Carrithers’ reached on an infield single and Curtis on an error by Jones to put UCLA runners on first and second with no outs before Davis struck out the heart of the Bruins’ order to leave them stranded. The Bruins got their first two runners on in the fourth after Casey Haerther and Tim Murphy started the inning with back-to-back singles but Davis forced Cody Decker into a double play and got Mickey Weisser on a comebacker to escape unscathed.
Davis would not allow another hit until the three consecutive singles to start the eighth, retiring 11 of 12 hitters starting with Decker’s double play.
“Erik Davis was simply fantastic once again today,” said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. “It is an amazing accomplishment to have pitched four consecutive complete games. It’s almost unheard of in today’s age of college baseball.”
Stanford and UCLA conclude the three-game set Sunday (1 pm, PT) with Stanford looking for its second sweep of the season and its first since taking three in a row February 29 – March 2 from Cal State Fullerton. Sunday’s scheduled pitching matchup features Stanford RHP Jeffrey Inman (5-0, 1.49) against UCLA LHP Gavin Brooks (3-2, 4.97).
(Berkeley, CA) – Sophomore Doug Cherry broke a 2-2 tie with a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth inning as the Washington baseball team broke a four-game losing streak with a 7-4 win over No. 8 California Saturday at Evans Diamond.
The win evened the three-game, Pac-10 series at one win apiece as the Huskies improved to 24-13 overall and 4-4 in the Pac-10. The Bears fell to 25-10-2 overall and 6-5 in league play.
With the score tied at 2-2 going into the eighth, the Huskies got a leadoff single from Kyle Conley. After a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk, Cherry, from Inglemoor High, was called upon . He responded by lining a single to the right-center field gap, scoring Conley with what proved to be the winning run.
After Cherry’s hit, the Huskies added on in the ninth when junior Jake Rife, who had come on as a pinch runner for the designated hitter in the eighth, belted a grand slam to right field, his first home run of the season. The homer came after a two-out error that loaded the bases and kept the inning alive.
Husky junior starter Jorden Merry (5-0) maintained his spotless record, going eight and one-third innings for the win. He gave up four runs on 11 hits, walking one and striking out three. After getting two hits in the first, Cal had one hit (all singles) in each of the following seven innings.
In the ninth, down five runs, the Bears scored two runs, but Paul Dickey came on to record the final out and earn his fourth save.
Golden Bears reliever Craig Bennigson (3-2), who came on in the seventh, took the loss. Freshman starting pitcher Kevin Miller, who entered the game with a 0.87 ERA, allowed only one earned run on four hits over six and two-thirds, striking out eight Huskies.
Cal took the early lead with a single tally in the first. Leadoff man Rich Gorman opened the bottom of the first with a single. With two outs, he stole second and moved to third on a throwing error. Bears second baseman Josh Satin followed with a single, driving Gorman in to give the home team a 1-0 lead.
In the fourth, the Huskies used two walks and an error to score a pair of runs. The UW loaded the bases with one out on a single and two walks. Andy Lentz, celebrating his 22nd birthday, then hit a grounder that was misplayed by Cal shortstop Michael Brady, allowing one run to score. Joey Dunn gave the Huskies a lead when he reached on a fielders choice to drive in a second run.
Cal drew even at 2-2 in the fifth. Jeff Kobernus led off with a single. After stealing second and moving to third on a balk, he scored on a long flyout from Rich Gorman.
The series concludes with a 1:00 p.m. game Sunday. Fans can catch a live broadcast on KKNW AM-1150 and also at gohuskies.com.
(Tucson, AZ) – Junior Brad Glenn hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to extend Arizona’s winning streak to nine straight games with a 6-5 win over Washington State at Kindall Field on Saturday.
Glenn’s walk-off blast, his seventh homer of the year and his sixth in his last 12 games played, improved the Wildcats to 24-11 overall and to 5-6 in Pac-10 play. WSU’s second one-run loss of the series dropped the Cougars to 19-17 overall and 3-8 in the conference.
After the Cougs plated a run in the top of the ninth to take a 5-4 lead, C.J. Ziegler collected a one-out single to begin UA’s comeback in the home half of the frame. Glenn, who scored the game-winning run in Friday’s 7-6 12-inning victory, battled WSU reliever Seth Harvey to a full count and fouled off three straight pitches before ending the contest with the blast off the batter’s eye in centerfield.
The two-run walk-off homer was the first for an Arizona player since T.J. Steele went yard in extra innings against Northern Colorado last season.
Tied 4-4 after eight innings, Washington State rallied to take a one-run lead in the top of the ninth when Travis Coulter plated the go-ahead run on a first and third fielder’s choice.
Coulter grounded a one-out Daniel Schlereth offering to Ziegler at first. The Arizona senior wheeled and tried to turn a double play, but his throw slightly pulled shortstop Bryce Ortega away from the bag and the relay to first came up just late to get the final out and allow pinch runner Simi Reynolds to score.
Reliever Ryan Perry (4-2), who tossed all of six pitches in the game, replaced Schlereth on the mound and picked up his fourth win of the season by striking out Paul Gran for the final out in the frame.
WSU’s Harvey (1-3) was charged with the loss after surrendering the homer and the lead in the ninth.
The Cougars opened the game with a 2-0 lead when Jim Murphy launched a two-run homer to left off of UA starter David Coulon in the first.
Daniel Butler and Bryce Ortega, who finished the game 3 for 3 with three RBI, combined to cut the Cougar lead in half in the bottom of the third on a one-out triple by Butler and an RBI bunt single by Ortega.
Ortega added two more runs to the Arizona tally in the fifth with a single to right-center that scored Mike Weldon and Butler to hand UA a 3-2 lead.
WSU tied the game up in the top of the sixth on a RBI double by Alex Burg and retook the lead at 4-3 in the top of the seventh on a Coulter single.
The Cats rallied to tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh when Butler reached on an error by shortstop Shea Vucinich and pinch runner Robert Abel scored on a Steele triple to center.
Arizona, which sealed its first Pac-10 series victory of the year with Saturday’s win, will go for its second consecutive weekend sweep in the series finale with Washington State on Sunday. Left-hander Eric Berger is the scheduled starter for the Wildcats with first pitch scheduled for noon.
Note
Arizona improved to 22-4 when hitting at least one home run in game this season.
(Los Angeles, CA) – The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (26-11) steamrolled University of Southern California (19-18), 23-2 Saturday afternoon at Dedeaux Field. Backed by an impressive outing from redshirt freshman Mario Hollands, the Gaucho offense continued their season-long assault on opposing pitchers, scoring 23 runs on 19 hits in Saturday’s shellacking.
The Trojans were actually the first to score, putting up a run in the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded, Mike Roskopf grounded into a fielder’s choice, scoring Nick Buss to put the Trojans in front, 1-0. It would be the only run Hollands surrendered, as the freshman southpaw breezed through the USC lineup over the next five frames.
Hollands (4-2) earned his fourth win on the year, allowing only one run on nine hits in six solid innings of work. The El Cerrito, Calif., native struck out five and walked only three, lowering his ERA to 3.13.
The Gauchos offense caught fire in the top of the third inning, scoring five times on five hits. Gaucho third baseman Patrick Rose led off the inning with a single to right. After Steve Cook singled to center, Brian Gump came to the plate with one out and runners on the corners. Gump lined a double down the left field line, scoring Rose from third for the first Gaucho run of the game. Chris Fox added to the attack with a two-RBI single past second base. Catcher Chris McMurray followed in similar fashion capping the five-run third with a two-RBI single to right field.
UCSB struck again in the fifth, scoring a pair of runs to increase their lead to six, 7-1. With Oliver on first, Mike Zuanich launched a two-run home run over the left field wall, his 11th of the year. Zuanich’s two-run jack was his sixth in the last six games. After hitting three bombs against Westmont on Tuesday, Zuanich added his fourth of the week in the fifth inning.
The Gauchos continued their magnificent day, scoring seven times in the top of the sixth. The sixth inning outburst was highlighted by a bases-clearing double off the bat of Rose. With the bases juiced, Rose ripped a double to left field, scoring Carlson, Zuanich, and Oliver, to increase the Gaucho lead to 11-1. With Gunnar Terhune on base, Cook launched a two-run homer to straightaway center field. After six, UCSB was comfortably ahead, 14-1.
As if the 13-run lead wasn’t enough, the Gauchos tacked on nine more runs over the remaining three innings. The powerful Blue and Gold added five runs in the seventh, three in the eighth, and one in the ninth.
The UCSB carousel continued in the seventh, as a total of 13 batters came to the plate. Three consecutive walks by Trojan reliever Danny Beck loaded the bases with one out. Chris McCaffery came on in relief of Beck, but couldn’t stop the bleeding. McMurray greeted McCaffery with an RBI single through the left side, pushing the Gaucho lead to 15-1. Patrick Rose also walked in the following at-bat, scoring Zuanich from third. An RBI single from pinch-hitter John DeAlba, a fielder’s choice RBI from pinch-hitter Robby Cummings, and an RBI single from Gump, extended the Gaucho advantage to 18 runs, 19-1.
Gaucho reliever Clayton Edwards came on in relief of Hollands, allowing the second Trojan run of the game in the bottom half of the seventh.
After scoring three more times in the eighth and once in the ninth, Gaucho relievers Matt Wade and Patrick McIntyre each pitched perfect eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to seal the win.
Every Gaucho started recorded at least one hit, and every batter to enter the game with the exception of two pinch-hitters, recorded at least one RBI.
Every Trojan pitcher to enter the game surrendered at least two earned runs. Six USC pitchers combined to walk 10 batters on the day.
Brad Boxberger (2-2) suffered the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings.
The 23-run effort marked the second highest total for the Gauchos this season. On Tuesday, UCSB scored a remarkable 26 runs against cross-town rival Westmont College.
On the week, the Gauchos have scored an otherworldly 54 runs on 56 hits in three games. UCSB has now scored 307 runs on the season, an average of 8.3 a game.
Rose led the charge going 3-for-5, with four runs scored and four RBI. McMurray was 2-for-4 with one run scored and three RBI. Gump was 3-for-6 with two runs scored and two RBI. DeAlba, playing for the first time in three weeks, was 2-for-2 with three RBI off the bench.
The Gauchos come home tomorrow to play the series finale against the Trojans at 1:00 p.m. at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
