Stanford baseball looks to bounce back against Stanford baseball looks to bounce back against (April 04, 2003)WSU following rare upset loss to San Francisco

by Rick Eymer

Sam Fuld and Carlos Quentin each extended their hitting streaks but it wasn't enough to save the Stanford baseball team from a 9-5 nonconference loss to visiting USF on Tuesday.

The Dons beat Stanford for just the seventh time in 54 career games.

The fourth-ranked Cardinal (18-10) visit Washington State on Friday to begin a three-game Pac-10 series at 3 p.m.

Stanford, tied for the conference lead with Cal, and the Cougars meet again on Saturday at noon and Sunday at 11 a.m.

Stanford freshman left-handed pitcher Mark Romanczuk, a likely starter on Sunday in Pullman, was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week for the first time in his career after he threw his first career complete game, a five-hitter with five strikeouts, in the deciding game of a three-game series to win at Arizona State on March 24.

Romanczuk (6-0, 4.42 ERA) is tied for the Pac-10 lead in victories.

The Dons scored twice in the sixth to snap a 4-4 tie.

Quentin, who had two doubles, not only extended his career-high hit streak to 16 games, but he picked up his 200th career hit with a first-inning double.

Senior catcher Ryan Garko also doubled twice and drove in three runs to raise his team-leading RBI total to 36.

Fuld extended his hit streak to 12 games, one short of his career-high, with his ninth multiple-hit game during the streak.

Billy Paganetti (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing two runs -- one earned -- and two hits in three innings as the second of five Cardinal pitchers. Paganetti struck out a career-high six, including five in a row.
Softball

Dana Sorensen allowed three hits and an unearned run over six innings as No. 13 Stanford (27-12) defeated host Sacramento State, 5-1, in the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday.

The Hornets came back to win the second game, 6-5, and snap a seven-game losing streak to Stanford which dated to 1999.

Sorensen (12-4) struck out 10 and walked one in earning the victory. Catalina Morris had two doubles and Cassi Brangham collected three hits.

Jessica Allister and Lauren Lappin each hit a home run in the second game.

Stanford hosts Oregon on Friday at 7 p.m., then hosts Oregon State on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Men's volleyball

Stanford continues its fight for a fourth consecutive Mountain Pacific Sports Federation playoff berth with road matches at sixth-ranked Long Beach State and unranked UC San Diego this weekend.

The 10th-ranked Cardinal (12-11 overall, 9-8 MPSF) visit Long Beach State on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and UC San Diego on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The Cardinal have lost twice to the 49ers this season, losing 3-1 in the fifth place match of the E-Bar Invite on Jan. 11 in Santa Barbara and 3-1 on Feb. 14 at Maples Pavilion. Stanford won its only meeting with the Tritons.

Stanford resides in seventh place in the 12-team MPSF, and eight teams qualify for the playoffs.
Women's gymnastics

Sixth-ranked Stanford was placed in the North Central Region of the NCAA championship, hosted by the University of Utah on April 12.

The Cardinal (11-2-1) are coming off a second place finish at last weekend's Pac-10 championships and will be going for its second consecutive NCAA Super Six appearance, held in Lincoln, Neb., on April 24-26.

Stanford is paired with five other top-25 teams, marking the only region in the nation where all six schools are ranked. The Cardinal lead the away with a No. 6 ranking, followed by No. 8 Utah, No. 18 California, No. 20 BYU, No. 21 Denver and No. 23 Minnesota.
Women's lacrosse

No. 17 Stanford beat visiting Maryland-Baltimore County, 17-7, on Monday in a nonconference match as eight different players scored.

Stanford (7-2) scored the first goal of the day, but UMBC tied the match at 1-1 nine minutes into the contest. Four minutes later, the Cardinal's Megan Burker posted the go-ahead goal.

Abbi Hills had a game-high four goals and added one assist, while Kim Cahill added two goals and three assists.

Stanford travels to St. Mary's on Friday for a 4 p.m. match.
Women's water polo

Second-ranked Stanford (13-1, 5-0 MPSF) travels to play No. 17 UC Irvine on Friday for a 4 p.m. match, and to No. 4 Long Beach State on Saturday for a noon matchup.

Stanford goalkeeper Jackie Frank, named Co-MPSF Player of the Week this week, will lead the Cardinal into action.

Frank won the award for the second time this season after collecting 12 saves on Saturday as the Cardinal downed USC 5-3 at the Avery Aquatic Center. With the win, Stanford earned sole possession of first place.

The three-time All-American is averaging more than eight saves per game and limiting opponents to an average of three goals per game.

Seniors Julie Gardner and Nicole Huszcz have combined for 20 of the team's 127 goals. Palo Alto grad Laurel Champion has 10 goals.
Women's golf

Stanford plays in the PING/ASU Invitational beginning Friday at the par 72, 6,183-yard ASU Karsten Golf Course in Tempe.

The PING/ASU Invitational, one of the longest running tournaments, has been held each year since 1965-66.