A two-out, ninth-inning, two-run, go-ahead inside-the-park home run lifted the Stanford baseball team to a stunning 6-5 Pac-12 Conference win over host Arizona on Sunday at Hi Corbett Field.
Trailing by one and down to the final out, sophomore Quinn Brodey launched the first pitch he saw to the deepest part of the park.
The ball bounced just in front of the 405-foot marker in right centerfield, and just out of reach of the right and center fielders, who each collided with the wall. The ball ricocheted off the angled wall, and away from both outfielders. Freshman Nico Hoerner, who had reached with his career-best fourth hit of the game, easily scored the tying run from second. Brodey raced around the bases and was waved home by third-base coach Jon Karcich. He touched home plate — well before the ball arrived — and touched off a wild Cardinal celebration.
Stanford trailed 5-1 in the eighth inning and had scored just three runs in the entire series to that point. But the Cardinal rallied for three in the eighth, and won it with the improbable finish.
Sophomore Colton Hock, who entered in the eighth, retired the Wildcats in the ninth to earn the victory. Sophomore Andrew Summerville allowed just one earned run in 4.1 innings of relief to keep the Cardinal close.
The Wildcats got on the board early when they loaded the bases with one out in the first. But junior starter Chris Viall allowed just one unearned run on a passed ball. A strikeout and groundout stranded two on the base paths.
Arizona (23-13, 8-7) added to its lead in the second though. A leadoff walk came around to score on a two-out double, and two wild pitches later, it was 3-0.
Stanford had a runner on base in every inning. The Cardinal got on the board in the fourth when junior catcher Alex Dunlap singled to left, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on senior Austin Barr’s double over the right fielder’s head.
Summerville retired the first nine Wildcats he faced. Arizona did manufacture a run without a hit in the sixth and scored an unearned run in the seventh, but the southpaw reliever allowed just one hit and struck out four.
Stanford’s come back began in the eighth. Matt Winaker led off with a walk, Mikey Diekroeger was hit by a pitch and Brodey singled up the middle to close to within 5-2. Diekroeger scored on an error, and Brodey was plated on an RBI groundout by Jonny Locher to make it 5-4.
NOTABLES: Barr registered his first multi-hit game of the year … Hoerner finished the series 6-for-10 (.600) with some impressive defensive plays as well … Stanford was also down to its last out and trailing by one before Locher hit a game-winning home run at Cal on April 5.
NEXT UP: Speaking of Cal, another mid-week non-conference matchup looms in Berkeley. The Cardinal won at Evans Diamond with a come-from-behind, three-run ninth inning on April 5, and will be set for the rematch on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Lacrosse
Kelsey Murray completed a week in which she scored 12 goals and added six assists with four more goals and an assist Sunday to help No. 9 Stanford beat visiting UC Davis, 13-6, at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation action.
The Cardinal (12-2, 7-0 MPSF) scored a goal less than a minute into the game as Murray put away her first of the day from a free position shot. Kelly Myers added another one for the Cardinal to make it 2-0 nearly six minutes into the half.
The Aggies (5-6, 3-3 MPSF) rallied with three straight goals but it was a short-lived lead as Alex Poplawski knotted things at 3, scoring from a free position shot. Stanford went on to score three more times in the half with another Aggie goal added in to head into the break with a 6-4 lead.
The Cardinal offense composed itself in the second half as it went on a three goal run to bolster its lead 9-4. UCD was able to scrap two goals in the half, but six Stanford goals were too much for the Aggies.
The Cardinal hit the road in MPSF action on Friday with a huge game looming against the currently undefeated and sixth-ranked USC Women of Troy.
Game time is set for 4:30 p.m. in Los Angeles at the LA Memorial Coliseum and will be aired live on Pac-12 Networks.
Men’s crew
No. 16 Stanford recorded its fastest time in three years en route to a victory over No. 17 Wisconsin on Sunday morning in the Stanford Invitational-Pac-12 Challenge.
“We want to thank every school who competed in this regatta,” Stanford coach Craig Amerkhanian said. “We also want to express our gratitude to all the people who worked to put this event on. We hope it was a great experience for everyone.”
The Cardinal’s top boat battled with the Badgers in a tight race down the 2,000-meter course.
Stanford created some separation over the final 1,000 meters and finished with a time of 5.41.3; its fastest since the Cardinal went 5:31.2 to beat California in the Big Row on May 4, 2013. Wisconsin completed the course in 5:46.2.
The Badgers took the second varsity eight race in a time of 5:50.9, while Stanford completed the course in 6:03.0.
Wisconsin also won the third varsity eight race in 5:50.4. Stanford recorded a time of 6:17.3.
Stanford returns to action on Saturday, April 30, as the Cardinal faces California in the 83rd annual Big Row at Redwood Shores. The regatta is slated to begin at 9 a.m.
Women’s crew
In a matchup of the top boats in the nation, No. 7 Stanford placed second in the varsity eight in the headline race of the Lake Natoma Invitational on Sunday.
In a close race all the way down the 2,000-meter course, No. 2 California edged No. 7 Stanford by a couple seats to win the varsity eight race.
The Cardinal placed second, a couple seats ahead of No. 1 Brown. Stanford recorded a season-best time of 6:16.38. Cal captured the race with a time of 6:13.13, while Brown finished third with a time of 6:18.39.
Brown won the second varsity eight race with a time of 6:18.94, edging California (6:19.91) for the top spot. Stanford was third with a time of 6:32.81.
The Cardinal varsity four placed third with a time of 7:12.88 on Sunday. California won the race with a time of 7:04.47, edging Brown (7:08.47) by four seconds.
The third varsity eight (6:38.76) captured the Petite Final on Sunday, defeating a pair of entries from Sacramento State (7:19.10, 7:25.40) by open water.
Stanford will return to the Lake Natoma course in less than a month, as the Cardinal competes in the Pac-12 Championships on May 15.
Prior to that, Stanford will get a rematch with California as the rivals will once again go head-to-head in the 83rd annual Big Row at Redwood Shores on Saturday, April 30. Racing is slated to begin at 9 a.m.
Softball
Stanford dropped the Pac-12 Conference series finale to visiting Arizona, 8-0, in five innings Sunday in front of a packed Boyd and Jill Smith Family Stadium.
The Cardinal (13-23, 0-12 Pac-12) hit the ball well but could not generate runs, leaving runners on base in three of five innings.
The Wildcats (31-12, 8-4 Pac-12) produced 12 singles en route to its eight runs. It was the second game of the three-game series in which Stanford did not permit an extra-base hit.
Savannah Schulze led the Cardinal with a single and a walk. Bessie Noll and Lauren Wegner also contributed a single apiece.
Carolyn Lee (6-14) got the start in the circle and allowed seven runs on 11 hits and three walks.
She was relieved in the fifth inning by Haley Snyder who battled through a costly error by her defense to tame the Wildcats offense and only permit one unearned run.
Sailing
Stanford boats led from start to finish in winning the Pacific Coast Collegiate Sailing Conference Women’s Championship on Sunday at the UC Santa Barbara Sailing Center.
The Cardinal ‘A’ and ‘B’ boats combined to win 16 of the 20 races, with the lowest finish a third-place showing.
The ‘A’ boat won seven races, placed second twice and third once. The ‘B’ coat won nine of 10, and placed second once.
Stanford recorded 25 points to finish well ahead of California, which was second with 77 points.
Stanford raced to a fourth-place finish at the Navy Spring Regatta in Annapolis. The Cardinal recorded 168 points. Georgetown won with 142.
At the Thompson Trophy, hosted by the Coast Guard, Stanford placed sixth with 389 points in the three-division race. Yale won with 294.
By Stanford Athletics
By Stanford Athletics
By Stanford Athletics