STANFORD, Calif. – Freshman Christian Lim carried a no-hitter, facing just one over the minimum, through 7 1/3 innings to lead Stanford (13-15, 6-5 Pac-12) to a 3-1 victory over Washington State (16-13, 6-8 Pac-12) on Saturday afternoon from Sunken Diamond.
With the win, Stanford secured the Pac-12 series victory over Washington State.
The only blemish on Lim's line through the first 22 outs was a leadoff walk to Cole Cramer in the sixth inning to snap a string of 15 straight retired to start the game. After the left-hander retired the next seven hitters, Will Cresswell broke up the no-hit bid with a line drive back up the middle in the eighth before coming around to score on an RBI-double from Cramer one play later.
Lim ultimately tossed a career-high eight innings, allowing the one run on two hits and a walk while striking out eight. The Nashville, Tenn. native filled up the zone throughout the game, landing 71 of his 102 pitches for strikes and pitching into a three-ball count just five times.
Stanford's offense used a pair of solo home runs to support Lim, with Jimmy Nati connecting for his second of the year in the bottom of the second. The ball hit off the top of centerfielder Alan Shibley's glove as he leapt at the wall before bounding over the fence.
Owen Cobb extended the lead to 2-0 with a solo shot of his own – the fifth of the year for Cobb - with one out in the third inning. Cort MacDonald and Malcolm Moore followed with singles, setting the table for a Nati sacrifice fly to cap the two-run third inning.
Sophomore Nick Dugan entered in the ninth and closed the door on the Cougars, issuing one walk while striking out two to convert his second save of the year.
Stanford will look to sweep the series over Washington State on Sunday when the two teams conclude the three-game set at 1:05 p.m.
GAME NOTES:
- Including 5 2/3 no-hit innings to start the game from Matt Scott on Friday night, Stanford's starters have combined for 13 hitless innings to start the two games.
- The combined two-hitter is the second of the season for Stanford after Scott, Kassius Thomas, Joey Volchko and Toran O'Harran combined to two-hit Rice on the road on March 1.
- Lim (8 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 8 K) has contributed five quality starts in his last six turns and has allowed two or fewer runs in all but one of those contests (3-0, 1.67 ERA, 37.2 IP, 7 ER, 46 K)
- With the victory, Stanford improves to 16-1 against Washington State under David Esquer.
- Cort MacDonald (1-for-4, R) has now hit safely in six straight games and has reached in all but three contests this year - hitting safely in each of those games.
- Trevor Haskins (1-for-3) extended his hitting streak to seven games … he is batting 13-for-27 (.481) with eight runs scored, four doubles, a triple, two home runs and nine RBIs over the streak.
- Five of Stanford's 10 hits went for extra bases (3 doubles, 2 home runs).
- Cobb (2-for-4, R, HR, RBI), M. Moore (2-for-3, 2B) and Nati (2-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBIs) each finished with multi-hit games.
- Washington State starter Connor Wilford (6.1 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, BB, 4 K) was charged with the loss and dropped to 3-3 on the season.