STANFORD, Calif. - No. 2 Stanford baseball advanced to the College World Series in Omaha for the 18th time in program history with a 10-5 win over UConn (50-16) on Monday at Sunken Diamond. The Cardinal, now 47-16 on the season, will take on Arkansas Saturday at Charles Schwab Field Omaha at 11 a.m. PT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
The Huskies jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first with a single, single, hit-by-pitch and bases-clearing double all before an out was recorded. Drew Dowd would come on in relief and escape further damage with an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded to keep the deficit at three. Stanford's potent offense bounced back with two runs in the home half, as Brock Jones scored on a sac fly and Braden Montgomery scored on a two-out Kody Huff double.
Huff was 3-for-4 in the game with five RBI, as his fourth-inning grand slam broke the game wide open.
Dowd settled the tide on the mound, holding the Huskies scoreless over three innings of work and allowed the Cardinal offense to strike, which it did in the bottom of the fourth for six runs. Tommy Troy and Eddie Park began the fourth with singles, and after an error advanced them each a base, Adam Crampton brought them home with what would turn out to be the game-winning single and a 4-3 lead.
After two straight outs, Brett Barrera singled and Montgomery walked to load the bases, before Huff unloaded on a monster grand slam to left field to blow the game open and give the Cardinal its 8-3 lead.
For the second straight game, Quinn Mathews recorded a nine-out save, as Ryan Bruno bridged the three-inning gap between Dowd and Mathews. The trio of Stanford left-handed pitchers, who recorded all 27 outs on Monday, allowed just eight hits and two runs to a high-powered UConn offense.
For his effort, Bruno was credited with the win and moved to 6-1. Mathews, who struck out four over the final three frames, converted his ninth save of the year.
With Monday's victory, Stanford has now advanced to the College World Series in each of the six seasons it has hosted a super regional. The Cardinal is also 10-0 in winner-take-all postseason games played at Sunken Diamond.