Cardinal Powers Way to Victory
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Drew Bowser and Kody Huff each homered twice as No. 3 Stanford (39-14) connected for five in total to record a 15-8 victory over Arizona (36-22) on Thursday night from Scottsdale Stadium and the Pac-12 Baseball Tournament.
With the win, Stanford has won 14 consecutive games – the longest unbeaten streak since opening the 1998 season 16-0-1. The current win streak is the longest since posting 18 straight from April 16 – May 24, 1996.
The Cardinal scored the 15 runs on 21 hits – falling one hit short of the season high set against Arizona State on April 10.
Huff finished the game 3 for 5 with five runs scored and four RBIs. The multi-homer game, consisting of a solo shot in the second and a two-run homer in the fifth, is the second of Huff's career. He has now connected for 10 homers this season.
Huff's five runs scored are the most for a Cardinal in a single game since Austin Wilson scored five times at California on April 9, 2012.
Bowser also managed three hits, going 3 for 6 with three runs scored and four RBIs while posting his first career multi-homer game – running his season home run total to 11. The native of Los Angeles, Calif. has now hit three homers in two games at the Pac-12 Tournament, with his second of the night going for a three-run shot to highlight a five-run sixth inning.
Huff and Bowser went back-to-back in the second inning before Brett Barrera's solo homer in the third made it 3-0 Stanford. The round-tripper was Barrera's 10th of the season and came as part of a 3 for 5 night that included a double, the homer and two runs scored.
After Arizona managed to plate three runs in the third inning to draw even, Stanford responded for two in the fourth and three in the fifth to reclaim an 8-3 lead. Junior Brock Jones delivered the clutch two-out, two-RBI single in the fourth before Huff's two-run shot highlighted the scoring in the fifth.
The Wildcats would get one run in the fifth inning on a Tanner O'Tremba home run, but Stanford blew the game wide open with the five-run sixth – highlighted by Bowser's three-run blast.
The bottom of Stanford's order continued to be productive on Thursday night, with Eddie Park (3 for 4) and Adam Crampton (3 for 5) combining for six hits out of the eighth and ninth spots in the order, respectively.
All but one Cardinal starter had multiple hits in Thursday's victory, with five posting three hits.
Stanford starter Alex Williams worked the first 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts in a no-decision. Sophomore Brandt Pancer pitched the final three innings, surrendering two runs while striking out four to pick up the victory and move to 1-0.
Arizona starter Garrett Irvin was saddled with the loss after allowing seven runs on 10 hits over 4 1/3 innings to fall to 4-4.
Having won its first two games of the tournament, Stanford will now have Friday off from competition before returning to play at 9 a.m. PT on Saturday against the winner of Friday's game between Arizona and Arizona State.