Cal Quantrill must be a quick learner. After getting roughed up in his first four starts, the freshman right-hander came out firing all on all cylinders Sunday, pitching a four-hitter as the Stanford baseball team beat Kansas, 1-0, in a nonconference game.
The son of former major league pitcher Paul Quantrill displayed command of the strike zone in a dominating effort. He walked two and struck out seven in giving the Cardinal (7-8) its first series win of the year and its first shutout since last March.
“I thought he got stronger as the game went on,” Cardinal coach Mark Marquess said. “I thought he was stronger in the last three or four innings than the first five or six.”
Quantrill (2-2) stranded seven runners, three in the first inning.
“He always battles,” Marquess said. “The first inning they had that chance, they got the bases loaded when he walked a guy and they got a hit. After that he settled in and did a great job.”
Quantrill pitched his way out of the first inning jam, starting a streak of retiring 10 straight.
Stanford provided as much run support as necessary on a two-RBI single from Alex Dunlap in the bottom of the fourth.
Danny Diekroeger, who had two hits, singled to start the frame and advanced to second on a ground out. Dunlap smacked a 0-1 offering back up the middle to plate Diekroeger.
Dunlap’s single was one of four on the day for the Cardinal.
Duncan (2-1) threw eight innings for the Jayhawks, while allowing the four hits and one earned run. He struck out four and walked one.
Kansas threatened in the ninth inning, after Dakota Smith singled to lead off. He reached third base with two outs, but Quantrill got Ka’iana Eldredge to roll over a ground ball to third to finish the shutout.
The Cardinal returns to Klein Field at Sunken Diamond March 20-22 for a three-game set against USC. Stanford takes a 12-day break from games due to its exam period.
Notes: Kansas entered the series ranked in the nation’s top ten in batting average (No. 5), hits (No. 6), runs (No. 3), scoring (No. 8) and slugging percentage (No. 6) … Quantrill threw Stanford’s first shutout since Mark Appel blanked Washington State, 3-0, March 28, 2012 … Austin Slater had his career-best hitting streak stopped at 10 games … Diekroeger has reached safely in nine straight games and has a four-game hitting streak.
By Palo Alto Online Sports/Stanford Athletics
By Palo Alto Online Sports/Stanford Athletics
By Palo Alto Online Sports/Stanford Athletics