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Baseball

Comeback Cardinal

Box Score

PULLMAN, Wash. – No. 3 Stanford completed a comeback to claim an 8-5 win and clinch the three-game series at Washington on Saturday at Bailey-Brayton Field.

"It was not going our way and we didn't have our usual energy to start the game, but our guys hung in there, made adjustments and stayed patient," said the Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer. "Alex Williams gave us an opportunity and turned the momentum, and we had a few really big at-bats as the game went on. To their credit, our guys were able to recognize that momentum shift and take advantage in the later innings."

Williams (W, 2-0) starred in relief for the Cardinal (17-3-0, 5-0-0 Pac-12) in relief, tossing 4.2 perfect innings with four strikeouts after entering with a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third. Jack Little picked up his fifth save of the season, a six-out save with two strikeouts, and Stanford played error-free defense for the second straight game.

Tim Tawa led Stanford, offensively, finishing 2-for-3 with four RBI and a towering home run well beyond the high fence in straightaway centerfield. Andrew Daschbach went 3-for-4, scoring three times, and Kyle Stowers, Will Matthiessen and Nick Brueser finished with two hits apiece. Matthiessen scored twice and drove in one run while Stowers added an RBI and a double.

After the Cougars (6-19-0, 0-5-0) took the lead in the bottom of the first with back-to-back hits, Tawa's second home run of the year, a towering shot well beyond the tall fence in straightaway centerfield, put Stanford ahead, 2-1. The lead was short-lived as Washington State responded with another run in the second and three more in the third.

The Cougars strung together a series of singles in the third, chasing starter Jacob Palisch from the game after 2.1 innings. Palisch was charged with five runs, all earned, walking a pair and allowing six hits. Carson Rudd briefly appeared before Williams took over – the freshman punched out two Cougars with the bases loaded to limit the damage to three in the third. Williams would pitch through the seventh inning, confidently putting away all 14 batters he faced.

In the sixth, Stanford scored three times to tie it up, 5-5. Stowers' sacrifice fly scored Brandon Wulff, who reached base twice with a pair of walks, and Tawa legged out an infield single to score a pair – Matthiessen came home on the play, and Daschbach followed after a Washington State error at first base.

Stanford took the lead in the eighth with Matthiessen scoring on a wild pitch and Tawa doubling the lead with a sacrifice fly to bring in Daschbach. Matthiessen added an insurance run in the ninth with a line-drive double down the left-field line, his fifth RBI of the series. Little took the ball from Williams to start the eighth, putting away all six batters he faced for his fifth save of the season.

The series finale is set for Sunday at Noon PT. Erik Miller is set to start for the Cardinal against Washington State's Hayden Rosenkrantz. Live streaming and live statistics will be available at GoStanford.com.

Cardinal Notes

  • Stanford had double-digit hits for the sixth time this season, finishing with 12.
  • It was Stanford's eighth game of the season with zero errors.
  • Handley's reached-base streak extends to 21 games – he has reached base safely in all 20 games in 2019 and in his final appearance of 2018.