March 21, 2008

Box Score

Stanford, Calif. - A nine-run fifth inning powered the Pacific baseball team to a 10-6 victory over No. 17 Stanford on Friday, Mar. 21.

The Tigers climbed to 5-14 with the victory, while Stanford fell to 8-5.

Trailing 1-0 entering the top of the fifth inning, the Tigers took advantage of three Stanford errors, five walks and four Cardinal pitchers to score nine unearned runs and take a 9-1 lead.

Freshman Nick Longmire (San Diego, Calif.) drew a leadoff walk to start the inning. The next batter, senior John Joines (Milpitas, Calif.), reached on an error as Stanford first baseman Randy Molina tried to cut down Longmire at second on threw the ball wide of the bag.

With runners at first and second, Pacific junior Jonathan Lewis (San Lorenzo, Calif.) dropped a sacrifice bunt down the first base line. Molina once again tried to cut down Longmire, this time at third, for the second consecutive play his throw skipped away, allowing Longmire to score and tie the game at 1-1. Joines and Lewis moved to second and third on the play.

A ground out by freshman J.B. Brown (Alvin, Texas) gave the Tigers the lead at 2-1, then junior Joe Oliveira (San Diego, Calif.) ripped a double into center field to plate Lewis and make it 3-1.

Senior Adam Ching (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) followed by chopping a ball to third. Stanford's Zach Jones grabbed the ground ball and tried to catch Oliveira off second, the throw by Jones glanced off Oliveira and into right field, sending Oliveira to third and Ching to second. After a walk to junior Mike McKeever (San Diego, Calif.) loaded the bases, junior Kurt Wideman (Fallbrook, Calif.) lifted a sacrifice fly to drive in Oliveira and make it 4-1.

Freshman Brian Martin (Livermore, Calif.) chased Stanford starter Jeremy Bleich and loaded the bases again for the Tigers. An infield single from Longmire made it 5-1, then back-to-back walks to pinch hitter, senior Jason Haar (San Diego, Calif.) and Lewis plated two more Pacific runs to make it 7-1. Brown capped the Tiger scoring with a two-run single up the middle, giving Pacific a 9-1 advantage.

Stanford, however, responded in their half of the fifth inning, scoring five runs on six singles and a walk to chase Pacific starter, freshman Tyler Waldron (Pilot Hill, Calif.) and pull within three runs at 9-6. Pacific junior Larry Holscher (McArthur, Calif.) retired the final two batters to escape the fifth inning for the Tigers.

Holscher (1-1) also escaped a first and third, one-out jam in the sixth and went on to earn his first victory of the season by tossing 4.1 innings of scoreless relief.

Junior Cole Akins (Seattle, Wash.) picked up his first save of the season by getting the final out of the game with the bases loaded in the ninth.

Bleich (2-2) suffered the loss, allowing seven unearned runs on two hits and six walks in 4.2 innings.

Brown led the Tigers offensively, finishing the game 1-for-4 with three RBI.

Pacific and the Cardinal continue their three-game series tomorrow, Saturday, Mar. 22 as the series moves to Stockton, Calif. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Klein Family Field.