March 22, 2008

Box Score

Stockton, Calif. - Despite the first collegiate home run from freshman Nick Longmire (San Diego, Calif.), the Pacific Tigers fell to Stanford, 7-3 on Saturday, Mar. 22 at Klein Family Field.

Pacific fell to 5-15 on the season following the loss, while Stanford moved to 9-5.

After taking full advantage of three critical Stanford miscues to claim the first game of the series on Friday, the Tigers were poised to earn the series victory with a win back at home.

Unfortunately the Cardinal had other ideas, plating five runs in the first four innings to put Pacific on the defensive early.

Stanford got the first two runners on with as Cord Phelps rifled a single into left field to start the game, then Brendan Domaracki executed a perfect hit-and-run to with a single through the right side to put runners at the corners. A wild pitch moved Domaracki to second, then the Cardinal scored on consecutive sacrifice flies to lead 2-0.

Pacific struck back in the bottom half of the first inning as junior Joe Oliveira (San Diego, Calif.) pulled a double down the left field line. Two outs later, senior Jason Haar (San Diego, Calif.) lofted a double into left-center field to drive home Oliveira and put Pacific on the board at 2-1.

Stanford got the run back in the top of the third on an RBI double from Domaracki, then added two more runs in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Jake Schlander and an RBI double by Phelps.

Longmire got the Tigers a little closer in the bottom of the fifth as he blasted a solo home run over the left-center field wall to make it 5-2. The blast was Longmire's first collegiate home run.

Stanford pushed the lead back to 6-2 with an unearned run, but Pacific sophomore David Rowse (Pleasanton, Calif.) came out of the bullpen to get the final two outs of the inning and leave the bases loaded with Cardinal.

Rowse's efforts energized the Tigers' offense as Oliveira led off the bottom of the sixth with his second double of the game down the left field line. One out later, Oliveira took third on a ground out from junior Mike McKeever (San Diego, Calif.), then scampered home on a passed ball by Stanford catcher Jason Castro to pull Pacific back within three at 6-3.

The Tigers, however, could not get any closed as the Cardinal added an insurance run in the eighth inning to take the game 7-3.

Stanford starter Erik Davis (2-2) earned the victory by limiting the Tigers to three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks, while striking out 10 in seven innings.

Pacific starter, junior Mark McCain (Dallas, Texas) suffered the loss (1-1) allowing six runs (five earned) on 10 hits in 6.1 innings. McCain struck out seven in the loss.

Stanford's Drew Storen came on in the eighth inning with runners at first and second and tossed two perfect innings of relief for his second save of the season.

Oliveira's 2-for-4 performance led the Tigers at the plate, he scored two Pacific runs and drew a walk as well.

The Tigers and Cardinal conclude their three-game series on Monday, Mar. 24 as Pacific hosts Stanford at 6 p.m. in Klein Family Field.