Feb. 25, 2000
Box Score
BERKELEY, CA - The California baseball team (5-8) fell to No. 2 ranked Stanford (9-4), 6-2, Friday in the first game of a three-game non-conference series at Evans Diamond. Cal coach David Esquer was facing his former coach Mark Marquess. Esquer had played shortstop at Stanford from 1984-87 and was an assistant under Marquess from 1991-96.
The Cardinal were led by the pitching of junior right-hander Justin Wayne, who improved his record to 4-0, throwing 7.7 innings with four hits, two runs, three walks and 10 strikeouts. Stanford had given Wayne a 1-0 in the top of the second inning on an RBI single by Billy Jacobson off of Cal starter Trevor Hutchinson (1-2, 7.0 innings, six hits, three earned runs, five walks, three strikeouts), younger brother of former Cardinal pitching ace and quarterback Chad Hutchinson. Stanford added another run in the top of the third on an RBI double by Edmund Muth.
Finally the Bears were able to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth when junior catcher Mike Tonis got Cal's first hit off of Wayne, a solo home run to right field. But, the Cardinal were able to extend their lead to 4-1 when Muth was able to get his second RBI of the day with a single to left field in the seventh inning. The hit actually scored two runs when the Bears left fielder Brent Cook bobbled the ball, allowing both Craig Thompson and Eric Bruntlett to score.
Cal kept a glimmer of hope by hitting another home run off of Wayne, this time a lead-off home run by junior shortstop Jason Williams in the bottom of the eighth to make the score, 4-2. Cook then followed with a single to left field, but Wayne was able to get Rob Meyer to fly out to right field and Tommy Callen to strikeout. With two outs, Stanford replaced Wayne with reliever Jeff Bruksch, who was able to get Xavier Nady to fly out to center field to end the inning.
The Cardinal padded their score by tallying two more runs in the top of the ninth off of Cal reliever Jon Cuccias. Muth had his third RBI of the day with a single to right and John Gall hit a sacrifice fly to center. Bruksch (1.3, no hits, no runs, no walks, two strikeouts) was able to get the Bears out 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth to earn his second save of the season.
Muth finished the day 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBI, while Joe Borchard was 3-for-5 for the Cardinal. The Bears did have an exciting triple play in the fifth inning when they turned a 6-4-3 double play against Gall and Muth, then first baseman Clint Hoover threw Bruntlett out at third.
The Bears will next play the second game of the three-game series against Stanford, Saturday, Feb. 26 at 1 p.m. at Evans Diamond.
Home Runs:
Stanford: None.
Cal: Tonis, solo home run in the fourth. Williams, solo home run in the eighth.
