Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Stanford
Long Balls Doom Fresno State
1/29/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Jan. 29, 2000
FRESNO, Calif. - No. 1 Stanford jumped to an early lead for the second consecutive game and defeated Fresno State 7-1 at Pete Beiden Field Saturday afternoon.
Stanford (2-0) scored four runs in the top of the second inning off Bulldog starter Shawn Hannah (Sr., Clovis, Calif.) on a pair of two-run home runs by Jason Cooper and Craig Thompson. The Cardinal added single tallies in the fifth, sixth and seventh to complete their scoring. Stanford had five extra-base hits on the day, including three home runs.
Fresno State (0-2) rallied in its half of the sixth, loading the bases with one out but could manage only one run. Tim Cunningham relieved Stanford starting pitcher Justin Wayne and immediately struck out Anthony Acevedo (Sr., Bakersfield, Calif.). Cunningham then walked pinch hitter Ben Fritz (Fr., San Jose, Calif.) but ended the rally by inducing Mike Bowlin (Sr. San Jose, Calif.) into an inning-ending fielder's choice.
"The have a good team," Fresno State head coach Bob Bennett said. "They are experienced and are very confident right now. They are clicking on all cylinders.
"The good thing about this is that we are seeing a measurement of what it takes to get to the next level. If we want to be playing at the end of the season, then we need to play like they are right now."
Hannah (0-1) allowed five runs on eight hits and struck out two in four-plus innings pitched. Zach Minor (So., Walnut Creek, Calif.) relived Hannah in the fifth and allowed two runs and struck out two over the final five innings.
"Shawn was wild and his pitches were up today," Bennett said. "That is something our pitchers cannot do, especially against a team like Stanford."
The Bulldogs again struggled at the plate, managing only three hits off three Cardinal pitchers. Wayne (1-0), a preseason All-American, earned the victory. He allowed one run on three hits and struck out five in his 5.1 innings of work. Cunningham worked the next three innings and struck out two. Mike Wodnicki recorded the final two outs of the contest for the Cardinal.
Brandon Gemoll (So., San Jose, Calif.) paced the Fresno State offense by going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. Nick Garcia (Jr., Lakewood, Calif.) had the only other hit for the Bulldogs, a second-inning single.
Eight of Stanford's nine starters had at least one hit, with Thompson going 3-for-5 with the second-inning homer and two RBIs. The only Cardinal starter not to record a safety was preseason All-America right fielder Joe Borchard.
The three-game series concludes Sunday afternoon at Beiden Field at 1 p.m. Left-hander Beau Hintz (So., Stockton, Calif.) will oppose Stanford sophomore right-hander Brian Sager.
