Card Dominate Late To Defeat Pacific

Stanford pounded out a season-high 19 hits Wednesday afternoon en route to a 14-8 victory over the host Pacific Tigers. The Cardinal used a six-run top of the sixth inning to take the lead for good while a freshman right-hander slammed the door in long relief. The win gives Stanford 30 on the year - the 13th consecutive season they've accomplished that feat.

A six-run top of the sixth inning proved to be the key frame for the Stanford Cardinal en route to a 14-8 victory over the Pacific Tigers at Klein Family Field.  On a pleasant Wednesday afternoon in Stockton, the Cardinal scored the final ten runs of the contest while Austin Yount fired 4 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to keep Stanford in front.  The win was Stanford's 30th of the regular season and 11th in their last 14 games.

Yount entered the contest in the bottom of the fifth inning with the bases loaded and two outs.  A trio of Cardinal pitchers combined to allow five runs in the frame prior to Yount's arrival as the Tigers built an 8-4 advantage.  The first man Yount faced was Anthony Jackson and the freshman right-hander quickly fell behind in the count, 3-and-0.  Faced with the prospect of walking in a run, Yount was able to bear down coming back with three consecutive strikes to punchout the Pacific shortstop to keep the Cardinal within four.

Then the bats went to work as Stanford responded with six runs of their own in the top of the sixth inning to take control of the game.  An infield single from the hot-hitting Jason Castro started the rally before Randy Molina drew a walk.  After Jim Rapoport dropped down a perfect bunt for a hit, Ryan Seawell brought home the first run of the frame with an infield single ground ball just past second base. 

Still with no outs, John Hester followed with a well-struck single through the middle plating both Molina and Rapoport to cut the deficit down to 8-7.  Then it was Chris Minaker's turn as the star shortstop smoked a single into left field to bring home Seawell with the tying score.

With a pair of runners on, Coach Marquess then elected to play small ball as clean-up man Michael Taylor was asked to bunt.  He would deliver with a sacrifice back to the pitcher's mound moving both Hester and Minaker up 90 feet.  Chris Lewis then continued a banner afternoon at the plate when he scorched a line drive single into left field to score both of his classmates giving Stanford a 10-8 lead.

Yount kept the momentum in the Cardinal dugout when he put up a zero in the bottom of the sixth and the offense continued to roll through the seventh.  A walk to Molina and then a pair of singles from Seawell and Hester loaded the bases with one out.  That set the stage for Minaker and as has been the case all year long, the Washington native produced the big hit with runners on base.  On a 2-1 pitch, Minaker sent a screaming line drive off of the fence in left center field for a double to score both Molina and Seawell for a 12-8 advantage.  Hester would eventually score on a wild pitch while Minaker came across on a balk.  When the dust had settled, Stanford had scored ten runs on ten hits over the sixth and seventh innings for their 14-8 lead.

On the mound, Yount produced his best game of the season.  The Arizona product threw very well with the lead issuing just one walk during his extended stint on the mound.  He also struck out five Pacific batters as part of a 70-pitch performance.  The only major threat against Yount came in the bottom of the seventh when the Tigers struck for back-to-back singles to start the inning.  But the Cardinal reliever managed to stay calm retiring the next three hitters in order to keep Stanford in front by six runs.

Yount's effort was a welcome sight after the first four Cardinal hurlers of the afternoon struggled.  Erik Davis made the start and after a perfect first inning, was tagged for a pair of runs in the second and one more in the third.  Making his first start of the year, Davis surrendered six hits and issued three walks before he was pulled with a runner on and no outs in the top of the fourth.

Sean Ratliff managed to escape damage in the bottom of the fourth, but didn't enjoy similar success in the fifth.  The southpaw surrendered a leadoff homer to Justin Baum to tie the game at 4-4 before a four-pitch walk to the next batter.  After falling behind the third hitter of the inning, 2-and-0, Ratliff was removed from the game in favor of David Stringer.  Stringer completed the walk to that batter and would later allow a two-run single and an RBI double as Pacific took back the lead.  Max Fearnow eventually became the third pitcher of the inning and he would struggle as well.  The freshman right-hander surrendered a double before a hit by pitch and a walk which loaded the bases.  But then Yount calmed the storm with his key strikeout of Jackson before the Stanford bats erupted.

The middle innings proved to be very kind to the Cardinal hitters today as they also managed three scores in the top of the fourth before a single tally in the fifth.  Lewis was right in the thick of everything when he blasted a two-run homer in the fourth.  He also smacked a clutch, two-out, RBI double in the top of the fifth.  All total, the senior second baseman finished 4-for-5 with four RBI.  He also made a number of very strong defensive plays both on diving stops and excellent turns at the bag on throws from Minaker.

For the Cardinal, the 14 runs scored matched a season-best while the 19 hits was their highest total of the year.  Meanwhile, with the victory, Stanford guaranteed a 30-win season for the 13th consecutive year (1993).

Stanford     0 0 0  3 1 6  4 0 0   -   14  19   0
Pacific      0 2 1  0 5 0  0 0 0   -    8  14   1

Stanford            POS   AB   R   H  RBI    BB  SO
Ryan Seawell         CF    5   2   3   1      0   1
John Hester           C    5   3   2   2      1   0
Chris Minaker        SS    6   2   3   3      0   0
Michael Taylor       RF    4   1   1   0      0   1
Chris Lewis          2B    5   1   4   4      0   0
Greg Reynolds        DH    0   0   0   0      0   0
 Brent Milleville   PH/DH  2   0   0   0      0   1
 Grant Escue        PH/DH  2   0   0   0      1   2
Jason Castro         1B    5   2   3   0      0   0
Randy Molina         3B    3   2   1   0      2   0
Jim Rapoport         LF    5   1   2   1      0   2

2B: Minaker 2, Seawell, Lewis
HR: Lewis (8th)
SB: Lewis

                        IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO
Erik Davis             3.0   6   3   3   3   1
Sean Ratliff           1.0   1   3   3   3   1
David Stringer         0.2   2   2   2   0   1
Max Fearnow            0.0   1   0   0   1   0
Austin Yount (W)       4.1   4   0   0   1   5



Pacific             POS   AB   R   H  RBI    BB  SO
Adam Ching           2B    5   1   3   1      1   0
Bob Saunders         3B    4   0   2   1      1   0
 Ryan Wilmer         PH    1   0   0   0      0   0
Matt Berezay         DH    4   1   0   0      1   1
Justin Baum          1B    5   1   2   1      1   2
Anthony Jackson      SS    3   2   1   0      2   1
Ramon Glasgow        RF    4   2   3   1      1   0
Jake Ross            LF    3   0   0   0      0   2
 Clint Eastman        C    1   0   0   0      1   0
John Joines          CF    4   1   2   2      0   1
Joe Oliveira          C    2   0   0   0      0   0
 Brett Manning      PH/LF  3   0   1   2      0   1

2B: Ching, Saunders
HR: Baum (12th)
E: Jackson

                        IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO
Curtis Pasma           3.1   7   3   3   1   4
Eric Stolp             1.2   3   4   3   1   1
Ty'Relle Harris (L)    0.1   4   3   3   1   0
Jake Wild              1.0   3   4   4   1   1
Casey Neimeyer         2.2   2   0   0   0   1


WP: Austin Yount (3-0)
LP: Ty'Relle Harris (5-6)

Records: Stanford (30-23), Pacific (27-25)


Notes:
* Castro (11 games) and Minaker (ten games) both extended lengthy hitting streaks.

* Every player in the lineup recorded at least one run and one hit with the exception of the duo of Milleville and Escue in the six hole.

* Three starters (Seawell, Minaker, and Castro) all notched three-hit games.  The three RBI for Minaker gives him 64 for the season.

* Lewis has now homered in three consecutive games while his batting average has climbed to .304.

* Stanford's season average improved to .281 - their highest mark of the year.

* The 4 1/3 innings pitched and five strikeouts were both career-highs for Yount.

* Cardinal pitchers combined for eight walks, two hit batters, and five wild pitches.

* Stanford swept the season-series over the Tigers, 2-0.  The Cardinal edged Pacific 2-1 on April 10th in a game played at Sunken Diamond.

* Stanford returns to action on Friday evening when they open a two-game, home-and-home series with the UC Davis Aggies.  First pitch at Sunken Diamond is at 6:00 P.M. with fireworks scheduled for after the game.  Greg Reynolds (6-4, 3.51 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for the Cardinal.