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Cardinal Strikes First

Box Score

STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford's bullpen combined for 4.2 shutout innings as No. 3 Stanford quieted No. 11 Oregon State to take the series opener, 8-5, on Friday night at Sunken Diamond.

"We're getting to the point in the season where every game feels like a postseason contest and we saw that here tonight," said the Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer. "Our pitching really stepped up late in the game and I credit our guys for coming out tonight ready to compete against one of the best teams in the nation."

Brandon Wulff hit his team-leading 17th home run of the season and Andrew Daschbach finished 3-for-5 with two triples and two runs while Kyle Stowers and Duke Kinamon finished with two hits and one run apiece. Jacob Palisch (W, 3-1) earned the win in 1.2 shutout innings and Jack Little moved into second in program history with his 25th career save to slam the door in the ninth.

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Now THATs a Friday-night win. Card takes the series opener, 8-5. ?? #GoStanford

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Starting pitcher Brendan Beck struck out a pair in the top of the first before Maverick Handley picked off Tyler Malone at first base to end the inning. Handley singled and advanced to third on a stolen base and an error, but was stranded 90 feet from home to end the home half.

Alex McGarry led off the top of the second with a solo home run to put Oregon State on top, but Stanford was quick to respond with three in the home half. Daschbach led off the inning with a single and scored on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Nick Bellafronto and Duke Kinamon, who also singled, came home on an RBI single by Christian Robinson. On the same play, a throwing error by the right fielder Malone allowed Tim Tawa to also score, making it 3-1.

The Beavers (34-16-1, 19-6-0 Pac-12) erased the deficit in the top of the third with Joe Casey's triple scoring Beau Philip, and Casey scored to make it 3-3 on Adley Rutschman's fielders' choice. The Cardinal (39-9-0, 20-5-0) had chances to score in the third and fourth innings but stranded runners in scoring position in each frame.

Oregon State retook the lead in the fifth as Rutschman drove in another run on a 1-out single up the middle, making it 4-3 and chasing Beck from the game after 4.1 innings pitched. Palisch replaced Beck with two on and one out, allowing a two-out single to make it 5-3 before getting the inning-ending fly out while stranding two runners.

The Cardinal erased the deficit and more in the home half, plating four runs, starting with Wulff's 17th home run of the season, a lead-off solo shot. Daschbach tripled home Matthiessen to tie it up at five apiece and scored on Kinamon's sacrifice fly. Stanford added another run on a passed ball, making it 7-5.

Palisch pitched a shutdown inning in the sixth, getting two quick outs before a two-out infield single by Preston Jones. Palisch caught Jones leaning, however, picking him off for the final out of the inning. Daschbach hit his second triple of the night in the home half but he was stranded 90 feet from home before Zach Grech took over to start the seventh.

Palisch's final line included zero runs on two hits in 1.2 innings. Grech, facing the top of the order, got three quick outs to preserve the lead. After Stanford went down in order, Grech returned for another quick, one-two-three inning to preserve the two-run lead.

Matthiessen hit a sacrifice fly to pad the lead in the home half and make it 8-5 and Little needed just seven pitches for three quick outs in the top of the ninth. It was Little's ninth save of the year and 25th of his career, which ties Colton Hock for second in program history behind Steve Chitren (26).
The three-game series continues tomorrow at Noon on Pac-12 Networks, followed by the series finale on Sunday at Noon. Saturday's game was originally scheduled for 4 p.m. but was rescheduled due to the expectation of rain in the forecast. Prior to Sunday's game, Stanford will honor its eight graduating seniors with Senior Day ceremonies.
Cardinal Notes

  • Stanford had double-digit hits for the 21st time this season and 11th time in 17 games.
  • The Cardinal played error-free defense for the 19th time this season.
  • Daschbach has 23 total bases in his last two games after a program-record four home runs in Tuesday's 7-1 win over Cal Poly.
  • The Cardinal has homered in 19-of-20 games with 55 in its last 24 games.
  • Handley's pickoff was his sixth of the season, the most in the Pac-12.
  • Wulff's 17th home run ties him with Daschbach (2018) for the most home runs in a season since Sean Ratliff hit 22 in 2008.