After rallying for four runs in the ninth inning on Saturday for a much-needed series win against UCLA, the Stanford baseball team carried its momentum into Monday’s nonconference showdown with No. 20 Cal. The No. 21 Cardinal (20-13, 5-7 Pac-10) controlled the game from the get-go and cruised to a 9-5 victory.

Sophomore center fielder Jake Stewart had three hits, four RBI and two runs scored to lead a Cardinal offense that pounded out 13 hits in the win. Stewart and senior catcher Zach Jones hit back-to-back singles to start the bottom of the first, meaning nine straight Cardinal hitters had reached base over the course of two games—seven consecutive Stanford batters got on base with two outs in the final inning of Saturday’s walk-off win.

The streak ended with a Tyler Gaffney strikeout, but Stewart and Jones successfully completed a double steal before being singled home by sophomore third baseman Stephen Piscotty, beginning the onslaught.

Stewart believes he is crucial to the team’s sometimes-middling offense.

“As a leadoff hitter, I take it upon myself to get on base every single at-bat,” Stewart said. “That’s not always possible, but I do whatever I can to get on base, especially with hitters like Kenny Diekroeger, Piscotty and Gaffney behind me.”

With the loss, Cal dropped to 24-13, but still boasts a 9-6 record in conference.

Stanford’s top starter, sophomore Mark Appel, got the start on the hill as yesterday would normally be his throw day between weekend starts. Appel went just one perfect inning. He was followed by junior Brian Busick (1-0), who picked up the win, striking out three and allowing three hits in three shutout innings. Freshman A.J. Vanegas followed with two innings of one-hit baseball of his own.

Getting Busick back from injury could be crucial down the stretch for Stanford, a point noted by Stewart.

“To see Busick come back and perform well—he pitched great tonight—is great,” Stewart said. “It’s huge to get another arm.”

Leading 3-0, the Cardinal broke the game open with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Following one-out singles by freshman right fielder Brian Guymon and senior designated hitter Dave Giuliani, Stewart drove a Kevin Miller pitch down the left-field line for a two-RBI double.

Miller (5-3), a senior, entered the game as one of Cal’s top pitchers with a 1.38 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 52.1 innings, but took the loss yesterday, as the Cardinal knocked him around to the tune of eight runs (seven earned) on 11 hits in 5.1 innings.

Jones noted the importance of beating Cal, even in a nonconference game, with a pitcher like Miller on the mound.

“They are a good team with a great conference record, even after being swept by Arizona State,” Jones said. “It’s always good to beat a quality team, especially with their starter who had a one-something ERA coming into the game.”

Stanford extended its lead to 8-0 in the bottom of the sixth. Stewart followed a Guymon walk and a Giuliani double with another two-RBI double to chase Miller. Jones then greeted junior reliever Joey Donofrio with a line-shot up the middle, scoring Stewart.

Jones continued to hit well for the Cardinal, going 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI, while Giuliani did his part to solidify his place in Stanford’s revolving door at the designated hitter position. The New Jersey native went 2-for-3 with three runs scored.

After a rough start to the season, Jones has made necessary adjustments—and they’ve shown at the plate.

“I just kept working hard and made a few mechanical adjustments I needed to make and a mental adjustment,” Jones said. “I had to stop digging a hole for myself and dig myself out of it.”

Cal finally got on the board in the top of seventh on a three-run homer by freshman designated hitter Michael Theofanopoulos. That came off Stanford’s fourth pitcher of the game, sophomore Dean McArdle, who has struggled of late and lost his spot as Stanford’s Sunday starter.

Cal head coach Dave Esquer apparently wasn’t happy with his team’s at-bats, as he decided to pinch hit for four of his starters in that seventh inning.

Trailing 8-3, the Golden Bears made it a little interesting in the top of the eighth. Shortstop Derek Campbell led off with a line-drive single over shortstop, which was followed by a seven-pitch walk of left fielder Dwight Tanaka by Cardinal junior lefty Scott Snodgress. After a strikeout, junior first baseman David Buscovich inside-outted a single between third and short to load the bases. Snodgress was then able to induce a sacrifice fly and a groundout to limit the damage to one run.

Freshman right fielder Austin Wilson, who came on as a defensive replacement two innings earlier, single-handedly created a run in the bottom of the eighth. Wilson sprayed a single to right to lead off the inning, then advanced to second on a passed ball and showed off his speed, scoring from second on a wild pitch.

Cal mustered a run off Stanford’s junior closer Chris Reed in the ninth, but it was not enough to bring the Golden Bears back.

Stanford travels to Moraga, Calif., to take on St. Mary’s today before heading south to visit No. 9 Arizona State this weekend in a crucial three-game, Pac-10 series beginning Friday.