The No. 25 Stanford baseball team (27-20, 11-10 Pac-10) lost two of three to visiting Washington State (28-18, 11-10) this weekend in a topsy-turvy series that saw lots of lead changes and late rallies.
After a come-from-behind win on Friday, Stanford was unable to take the series over the weekend.
The Cardinal lost the rubber game Sunday 9-3 after leading 3-2 entering the ninth inning. The Cougars tagged Cardinal closer Alex Pracher (6-4), a junior, for seven runs in the inning – though only two were earned – to end the roller coaster series.
Stanford jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the game behind solo homers from freshman first baseman Stephen Piscotty – who was 3-4 in the game with two runs scored – and freshman right fielder Tyler Gaffney.
The lead would not last, however, as the Cougars got two runs in the top of the sixth off freshman Dean McArdle, who was making the first weekend start of his career, on senior first baseman Michael Weber’s first of two home runs for the day. Weber would add a grand slam in the ninth off Pracher to bust the game open for Washington State.
McArdle was solid, going 5.2 innings and allowing just the two runs on three hits while striking out six. He would not get the win, however, as the Cougars strung together five hits, including Weber’s grand slam, and were aided by an error by Stanford’s junior second baseman Colin Walsh in the seven-run ninth.
While the Cardinal blew a game on Sunday, it stole one from the Cougars on Friday night.
Trailing 7-3 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Cardinal rallied for five runs to take the lead. Walks to Walsh and Piscotty put two on before freshman third baseman Kenny Diekroeger extended his hitting streak to 18 games (it is now at 20) with a two-RBI triple. Junior shortstop Jake Schlander followed with an RBI single. Two batters later, junior pinch hitter Ben Clowe singled and was followed by another pinch hitter, Eric Smith, who laced a line drive to left field for the game-tying base hit. With the bases loaded, Gaffney bounced a ball to second base, but Washington State junior Cody Bartlett rushed his throw and it got by Weber at first, allowing Schlander to score and give the Cardinal the lead for good.
Freshman Sahil Bloom (1-0), who threw just two pitches to get a 1-6-3 double play in the top of the eighth, earned the win.
Pracher pitched the ninth for his third save of the season. The ninth was not without excitement, as WSU senior designated hitter Matt Fanelli doubled with one out but was thrown out at second base by Schlander after taking too big of a turn around the base. Piscotty did a great job of trailing the runner from first base and applied the tag. Washington State head coach Donnie Marbut did not agree with the call and sprinted onto the field and got in a heated argument with first base umpire Jeff Patterson before being ejected.
Unfortunately for the Cardinal, Friday’s momentum didn’t carry into Saturday, as the Cardinal dropped the middle game of the series 4-2. Junior James Wise (2-1) stifled Stanford with eight innings of shutout ball, striking out eight and allowing just four hits.
The Cardinal again made it interesting late in the game, however. A sacrifice fly by Diekroeger and an RBI single by Schlander pulled Stanford to within 4-2 with just one out in the inning and the bases loaded. However, sophomore Adam Conley was able to get senior pinch hitter Adam Gaylord to hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat, giving Conley his 10th save of the season.
Sophomore Jordan Pries (3-3) got the loss for the Cardinal, going 5.2 innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and five walks. The Cardinal bullpen was brilliant, however, as three Cardinal relievers combined to go 3.1 innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five.
The Cardinal now sits in a three-way tie for third place in the Pac-10 Conference with two series remaining. Next week, the Cardinal plays at the University of Arizona, but not before hosting Hawaii for a single game on Tuesday.