Feb. 29, 2008

Box Score

Palo Alto, Calif. - Stanford's Randy Molina singled, homered and drove in five in the Cardinal's 12-5 win over Cal State Fullerton Friday evening in a non-conference baseball game at Sunken Diamond.

The Titans (3-2) dropped their seventh straight game in Palo Alto and fall to 3-2 on the year. Stanford improves to 4-2.

The Titan scored an early run in the first, but Stanford punched back with five big runs in the bottom half of the inning off losing pitcher

Jeff Kaplan (1-1) and never looked back. With an out in the first and two runners on, Titan first baseman Jared Clark attempted to start a 3-6-3 double play, but his throw pulled shortstop Christian Colon off the base. The play extended the inning and eventually set the table for Molina to drive in two with a single, and Joey August and Jeff Whitlow to each drive in a run with hits.

Trailing 5-1, Kaplan returned to the hill four the second inning, but was replaced with Travis Kelly after surrendering a single and a triple to lead off the frame. In all, Kaplan lasted just one inning, allowing seven runs (five earned) six hits and two walks on nearly 50 pitches.

Kelly started off a little shaky, but settled down after a walk and a big three-run homer by Molina cleared the bases. He went on to retire nine in a row from the second to the fourth before allowing a pair of runs in the fifth.

Stanford starter Jeremy Bleich (2-0) pitched solid for five innings before surrendering four Titan runs over his last 1.1 innings of work. Bleich faced just two over the minimum for the first five innings.

Trailing 11-1, Fullerton started to get to the Stanford left-hander. They notched four hits in the top of the sixth and plated a pair of runs, courtesy of a Khris Davis sac-fly and Erik Komatsu's second hit and RBI of the night. Bleich then came out for the seventh but recorded just one out before being replaced by Austin Yount.

Yount inherited A pair of runners (Billy Marco, aboard on his first-career hit, and Christian Colon aboard on a walk) as and allowed them to score via a Shevis Shima grounder and a Corey Jones sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 11-5. Bleich finished with a final line of five runs (3 earned) on seven hits over 6.1 innings.

Yount surrendered just two hits over 2.2 innings of work, walking one while striking out four.

Kelly, on in relief of Kaplan, was touched for four runs on three hits in his season debut. He worked 3.1 innings before handing the ball to freshman Kevin Rath. Rath threw three innings and stuck out four in his collegiate debut. Stanford plated their final run in the eighth as on of Rath's walks stole second, and later came around to score on a hit by Brent Milleville off the Titans' fourth pitcher Ryan Ackland. Josh Fellhauer, Komatsu and Colon each recorded a pair of hits, and Komatsu drove in two to pace the Titans. Molina, August and Whitlow also had two hits each on the night.

The Cardinal and Titans will meet again tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Sunken Diamond. Cory Arbiso (0-1, 1.50 ERA) will be on the hill for the Titans.

NOTES: In all the Titans issued nine walks on the night, four of which came around to score...Fullertoncontinued its aggresiveness on the base paths, stealing another five bases, upping their season total to 22.