Cardinal Clinches SeriesCardinal Clinches Series
Mindi Bach
Baseball

Cardinal Clinches Series

Box Score

STANFORD, Calif. – No. 3 Stanford threw nine shutout innings and completed the comeback series win over Oregon on Saturday at Sunken Diamond.

"These last couple days were huge for us after being hit in the mouth on Thursday," said Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer. "What you saw here the last two games was playoff-level baseball. The score doesn't show how close today's game was, so hats off to our players for hanging in and finishing the job."

The Cardinal (20-3 overall, 5-1 Pac-12) claimed the 2-1 series win after losing the opener on Thursday. The winning run came in the third inning with Tim Tawa scoring on a wild pitch. Starter Erik Miller lasted 4.0 innings, scattering four hits and three walks while striking out two. Miller has not allowed a run in each of his past two starts, lowering his earned-run average to 3.09.

Kyle Stowers' third home run of the season in the bottom of the eighth extended Stanford's lead to 3-0 before Beau Branton's RBI single to score Christian Molfetta from second made it 4-0. Jacob Palisch, who replaced Miller in the top of the fifth, earned his third win of the season.

Jack Little picked up his ninth save in as many opportunities, allowing two hits and striking out three in 1.2 innings pitched. Little has yet to allow a run this season and has allowed just 12 base runners in 20.1 innings pitched. Stowers finished with two hits, with Tawa, Nico Hoerner, Stowers and Molfetta accounting for each of Stanford's four runs.  

Stanford returns to action on Monday against Gonzaga. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. PT with live streaming and statistics available at GoStanford.com. Stanford then travels to face Santa Clara on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before a three-game series at UCLA in Los Angeles.

Cardinal Notes

  • Palisch pitched 2.2 innings, allowing three hits and striking out one. The freshman has not allowed a run since the opening weekend, lowering his ERA to 0.47.
  • Handley picked off another runner at first, his second pickoff of the series. Handley has also thrown out eight of 13 stolen base attempts on the season.
  • Austin Weiermiller and Will Matthiessen each pitched .1 inning, setting up Little.