STANFORD, Calif. – No. 4 Stanford managed just four hits in a 7-2 loss at the hands of Fresno State on Saturday night at Sunken Diamond.
"It was a really great game for five innings," said the Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer. "We were right there for a while, looking for that big moment to spark the offense but the game got away from us in the later innings. Fresno State is a great team and I tip my cap to them, but these games come down to momentum-changing moments and we didn't have one tonight."
Brandon Wulff and Nick Bellafronto's solo home runs accounted for Stanford's runs, but they came on either side of seven straight by Fresno State, including three runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh. The Cardinal faces elimination on Sunday at Noon in Game 5 of the Stanford Regional against Sacramento State – the winner would face the Bulldogs (40-14-1) at 6 p.m.
The Cardinal (42-12-0) wasted no time getting on the board with Wulff's team-leading 18th home run in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Wulff demolished a 2-0 pitch well beyond the fence in left center, giving starting pitcher Will Matthiessen a 1-0 lead.
Matthiessen tossed a shutdown inning thanks to two superb plays by Stanford's defense – Tim Tawa made a diving catch at full extension to rob a line-drive single and Maverick Handley caught McCarthy Tatum leaning at first for the final out and his eighth pickoff of the season.
Stanford went away quietly in the second before Matthiessen pitched through a two-out double in the bottom half. The Cardinal threatened with a pair of two-out base runners in the third but both base runners were stranded and Matthiessen worked a one-two-three home half with a pair of strikeouts.
Stanford put two runners aboard in the fourth but Fresno State retired the next two batters to escape the inning. In the home half, the Bulldogs tied it up on a solo home run off the bat of Nolan Dempsey but Matthiessen returned in the fifth with a scoreless frame. Zach Ashford attempted to steal second with two outs but Handley had other ideas, throwing a strike to Duke Kinamon at second to nail the runner.
Stanford went away in order in the sixth before Jacob Palisch took over for Matthiessen, who finished 5.0 innings while allowing one run on six hits with three strikeouts. Palisch allowed a lead-off double and a walk, departing for Zach Grech with no outs. Grech got a pop-out but a one-out single loaded the bases, setting up Emilio Nogales' two-run double to hand Stanford its first deficit of the postseason, 3-1. Fresno State wasn't finished in the sixth, adding another run on a fielders' choice before Grech retired the side.
Austin Weiermiller took over to start the seventh and the Bulldogs added another three runs, starting with McCarthy Tatum's two-out, two-run double, followed by an RBI single by Nogales to make it 7-1 after Carson Rudd relieved Weiermiller.
Stanford had a golden opportunity to cut into the lead in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs, but a six-three putout ended the threat. Bellafronto hit a one-out solo shot to make it 7-2 in the ninth but the Bulldogs retired the next two Cardinal to seal the win.
Sunday's game will air on ESPN3 with live statistics available at GoStanford.com.
Cardinal Notes
- Wulff's 18 home runs are the most in a season by a Stanford hitter since Sean Ratliff hit 22 in 2008. Wulff ties Ryan Garko (2003) and Jody Gerut (1998) for 10th on Stanford's all-time single-season list.
- Stanford has hit at least one home run in 24-of-26 games with multiple homers in 15 of those games. Stanford has hit 65 homers in its last 30 games
- Stanford has made just two errors since May 14.
- Handley has thrown out 12-of-28 stolen base attempts against him this season.