Publication Date: Wednesday, April 27, 2005
STANFORD ROUNDUP
Gilmore's pitching gem sparks baseball team to a crucial sweep
Gilmore's pitching gem sparks baseball team to a crucial sweep
(April 27, 2005) by Rick Eymer
Jeff Gilmore made the most of his first start as Stanford's top pitcher on Friday, and it set the tone for a sweep of visiting Washington over the weekend in Pac-10 baseball action.
Gilmore pitched his first complete game of the season, and the third of his career, to lead No. 24 Stanford to a 2-1 victory on Friday. The Cardinal won 10-6 on Saturday and 6-3 on Sunday.
"It was huge to get this sweep, especially after being swept at Arizona State last weekend," Stanford coach Mark Marquess said. "Both teams played well the entire series, we were just able to come through in several big spots and that's often what it takes."
Stanford (7-5, 24-14) moved into fifth place in the Pac-10, three games behind leader Arizona (10-2, 27-13) and a game behind USC (8-4, 26-12). Stanford still has a series left with both the Wildcats and Trojans.
The Cardinal are off this weekend and play Monday at UC Davis in a nonconference game at 2:30 p.m.
Stanford returns to Pac-10 action on May 6 when it opens a three-game series at California.
Gilmore's performance bolstered Stanford's efforts to rejoin the conference race. He pitched a four-hitter, striking out a career-high nine and didn't walk a batter. Washington's Tim Lincecum also went the distance, striking out 11.
"It's a heightened awareness to pitch in a game like this," said Gilmore, who won his sixth game in seven decisions. "I had to keep the team close against one of the best pitchers in the Pac-10."
Washington took a 1-0 lead into the sixth inning before Stanford put two runs on the scoreboard. Chris Lewis led off with a single and Jed Lowrie drew a two-out walk. John Mayberry, Jr. doubled to score Lewis. Lowrie never stopped running and was safe at the plate when Huskies catcher Joey Dunn dropped the ball. Lowrie had to scramble to touch home before Dunn retrieved the ball.
"It was huge opportunity for us," Mayberry said. "I was just trying to put the ball play and see what happened from there. It's the never say die attitude. We never quit and always feel like we can come from behind if we need to."
Matt Leva and Blake Holler combined to finish the sweep on Sunday. Leva allowed a run on four hits in 5 1-3 innings, while Holler gave up two runs on five hits over 3 2-3 innings to record the save.
Ben Summerhays had two hits and drove in two runs for his first career multi-hit and multi-RBI game. Chris Minaker had three hits and drove in two runs. John Hester hit a home run.
"I look at this series as a pivotal turning point in our season," Minaker said. "This was a huge opportunity that we couldn't lose."
On Saturday, Mayberry had three hits and Minaker drove in three runs. Hester and Michael Taylor each had two hits and Adam Sorgi drove in two runs.
Nolan Gallagher (1-3) won his first collegiate win in relief of starter Mark Romanczuk Matt Manship recorded his second save of the season and the 14th of his career.
"We called on Nolan Gallagher in a tough spot tonight, and he did a great job," Marquess said. "It's very tough to get any win in the Pac-10, let alone sweep a conference series."
Manship was charged with his first run of the season in the ninth, but still has an 0.51 ERA with one run allowed in 17 2-3 innings.
Softball
Stanford faces one of the top teams in the nation every time it plays a Pac-10 contest, so to take two of three from second-ranked California provides the Cardinal with a huge boost.
It almost doesn't seem fair when you consider that seventh-ranked Stanford (8-3, 34-9) is in second place in the Pac-20 after beating Cal (7-5, 40-8). The Cardinal also own a victory over first-place Oregon State (10-2, 35-8).
This is the Pac-10, though, where last-place Arizona State is nationally ranked, and has a win over Stanford. There's no such word as "fair" in this conference.
Stanford beat the Bears, 6-4, on Friday at home, and then beat Cal, 2-1, in Berkeley on Saturday. Cal avoided the sweep with a 1-0 victory on Sunday in which the potential tying run was thrown out at the plate in the seventh inning.
Stanford goes on the road to meet Washington on Friday at 1 p.m. and then goes to UCLA for games at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
On Friday, the Cardinal rallied from a 4-0 deficit. Jackie Rinehart doubled home two runs to tie the game, and Tricia Aggabao singled in the go-ahead run as part of Stanford's six-run fifth inning. Michelle Smith, Leah Nelson and Erin Howe also drove in runs.
Catalina Morris had two hits and Becky McCullough won the game, allowing four runs on five hits over seven innings. She retired the final seven hitters she faced after Cal took its lead.
Saturday, Laura Severson allowed one run on six hits in seven innings to earn the victory. Morris threw out the potential tying run at home with two outs in the seventh.
Nelson and Rinehart each drove in runs in the third inning for the Cardinal, who then managed to escape a couple of jams.
McCullough was the tough-luck loser on Sunday, allowing four hits and striking out six. The only run of the game was unearned.
Track and field
Freshman Erica McLain won both the long jump and triple jump and the Stanford women won 12 of 19 events, including both relays, to beat visiting California, 97-66, in the Big Meet on Saturday.
McLain, competing in her first Big Meet, won the long jump in 20-2 1-4, and the triple jump in 42-9.
Junior Alicia Craig, also competing in her first Big Meet, won the 5,000 meters in 16:29.66 while senior Christine Moschella won the 400 in 53.76 in addition to placing second in the 200 and running on both winning relays to help account for 18 points.
Stanford has won the past five Big Meets and eight of the past nine.
Arianna Lambie set a Big Meet record in the 1,500 meters, racing 4:17.13. Regina Jacobs held the old mark at 4:19.4 in 1983.
Katy Trotter ran the fastest time in the Pac-10 in winning the 3,000 steeplechase in 10:18.5.
Lindsey Gannaway (high jump), Susanna McFarlane (pole vault), Sarah Hopping (hammer) and Danielle Maier (javelin) were also winners.
On the men's side, California used a big margin in the field events to win its second straight Big meet, 85-78.
The Bears outscored Stanford 51-21 in the field events, including sweeps in the high jump and javelin, and finishing 1-2 in the hammer, long jump, shot put and triple jump.
Cal held a 56-21 edge after nine events before Stanford closed to within the final margin.
A difference of 0.05 in the 400 relay may have been all the difference in the meet, as Cal won the event, 40.64 to Stanford's 40.69. Wopamo Osaisai, who won the 100 in 11.14, was beaten by less than a half-step. Cal scored five points in the event, which eventually held up as a deciding factor.
Curtis Goehring raced 47.39 to win the 400, and then went 46.7 in his leg of the 1,600 relay, which also won in 3:13.53.
Michael Garcia (800), Donald Sage (1,500), Neftalem Araia (5,000), David Vidal (3,000 steeplechase), Feranmi Okanlami (triple jump) and Michael Robertson (discus) also won their respective events.
Women's water polo
With a pair of victories over the weekend, Stanford clinched the third seed in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament, which begins on Thursday in the Spieker Aquatics Complex at California.
The third-ranked Cardinal (9-3, 18-5) beat visiting San Jose State, 13-5, on Friday and then edged host Cal, 9-8, in the Big Splash on Saturday.
The top three teams - UCLA, USC and Stanford - earned first round byes in the tournament. Stanford opens play on Friday at 12:45 p.m. against the winner of Thursday's game between Cal and Cal State Northridge.
Saturday's semifinals are scheduled to start at 2 p.m. (consolation matches begin at 11 a.m.) and the championship is Sunday at 3:15 p.m. Only the tournament winner is guaranteed a berth in the national tournament at Michigan beginning May 13.
Katie Hansen, who had three goals, scored with 1:15 remaining to play to give the Cardinal a 9-7 lead. Cal scored again with 33 seconds remaining but Stanford was able to hold on.
Scotti Shafer added two goals.
Against San Jose State, Christina Hewko scored three goals, while Hansen, Nancy El-Sakkary and Alison Gregorka each added two.
Women's lacrosse
Stanford, which already clinched the top spot in the upcoming MPSF tournament at St. Mary's College in Moraga, downed Loyola, 20-16, in Baltimore on Saturday as junior Megan Burker and freshman Daphne Patterson each scored five goals.
The MPSF tournament begins Thursday, May 5. Stanford (5-0, 10-5) will meet either Oregon or St. Mary's on Friday, May 6 at 2 p.m.
Stanford plays at Ohio State on Saturday in its regular season finale.
Women's gymnastics
Freshman Tabitha Yim competed in three event finals, tying for third in the floor exercise, at the NCAA Championships in Auburn on Saturday, tying for third place in the floor exercise. Yim, Stanford's lone representative at the NCA.
Yim scored a 9.837 on the balance beam to finish seventh, and scored a 9.875 on the uneven bars to place sixth. She recorded a 9.925 on the floor and earned All-American recognition in the events.
Women's crew
Stanford led the Varsity Eight race from start to finish at Loyola Marymount on Saturday, but lost to UCLA in Varsity Four competition.
The Big Row between Cal and Stanford will be held on Saturday at Redwood Shores at 5:30 p.m.
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