Stanford Drops Finale

Cardinal wins series, 2-1, at No. 24 Cal State Fullerton

 FULLERTON, Calif. – No. 11 Stanford lost in walk-off fashion, 6-5, to close the series at No. 24 Cal State Fullerton on Sunday at Goodwin Field.

"We didn't play well for the first four innings, but we flipped the script and made a great baseball game out of it," said the Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer. "Today is nothing to be too upset about. Things just didn't go our way at times, and I credit guys like Nick Bellafronto, Nick Brueser and Duke Kinamon for stepping up late in the game."

The Cardinal (9-2-0) earned the series win, 2-1, after winning both games in a doubleheader on Friday against the Titans (5-4-0). Bellafronto led Stanford, offensively, going 2-for-4 with a two-run double to briefly give Stanford the lead in the eighth inning. Andrew Daschbach hit his first home run of the season while Maverick Handley and Christian Robinson each drove in one run.

The Titans took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Sahid Valenzuela's single scored Hank LaForte and Cal State Fullerton made it a two-spot with a softly-hit grounder with which Tim Tawa could only go to first. Cal State Fullerton made it 3-0 in the fifth despite Stanford starter Erik Miller striking out a pair.
Miller, making his third start of the season, tossed 4.0 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts. Will Matthiessen relieved Miller to start the fifth, throwing 3.0 shutout innings to keep Stanford in it.

The Cardinal offense finally got rolling in the fifth when Handley's two-out double to left field scored Robinson. Matthiessen went to work in the home half, quickly retiring the Titans in the fifth and sixth before Stanford plated another run in the seventh. 

Leading off the inning, Daschbach sent his first home run of the season beyond the right-field fence on the first pitch of the frame to make it 3-2, Titans. Stanford took its only lead of the game in the eighth inning, which started with a pinch-hit, lead-off walk by Brueser. Kinamon pinch ran for Brueser, eventually scoring on a bases-loaded ground out by Robinson. Robinson hit a chopper to Jacob Pavletich at first base, who stepped on the bag and fired home but Kinamon's slide eluded the tag to tie it up.

Bellafronto had Stanford's biggest swing of the day when he laced a two-out double over the centerfielder to bring in Daschbach and Will Matthiessen and make it 5-3, Cardinal.  

The Titans got two runs right back in the home half with a flurry of base hits and walks with All-American pitcher Jack Little in the game. With the score tied, 5-5, in the bottom of the ninth, the Titans plated the winning run, which was unearned, on a blooped single to right after a throwing error allowed the base runner to reach scoring position.

No. 11 Stanford returns to Sunken Diamond next week when it plays host to No. 22 Texas for a four-game series. Games 1-2 on Thursday and Friday will begin at 6 p.m. PT, Saturday's contest starts at 2 p.m. and the series finale on Sunday will take place at 1 p.m. With the possibility of rain in the forecast, follow Stanford Baseball on twitter at @StanfordBSB scheduling updates.
Cardinal Notes

• Matthiessen and Handley have reached base safely in all 11 games this season.
• Zach Sehgal made his collegiate debut as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the ninth inning.
• Stanford's six runs allowed were a season high.
• Bellafronto has started Stanford's last four games.