March 3, 1998

STANFORD, Calif. --- Top-ranked Stanford University (17-1-1) hit four home runs, including three in a row, in a six-run third inning en route to an easy 13-2 win over visiting Saint Mary's College (3-5) on Tuesday night at Sunken Diamond. The game, which was originally scheduled to be played at Saint Mary's, was moved from Moraga to Stanford because of poor field conditions at SMC.

The six-run rally in the third gave the Cardinal a commanding 12-1 lead. With a runner on and one out in the inning, junior Tony Schrager (Omaha, NE/Yale Univ.) hit a two-run home run to left that started the back-to-back-to-back homer string. The homer was Schrager's seventh of the year, and fourth in his last four games. Schrager's homer was followed by solo shots from sophomore Edmund Muth (Long Beach, CA/St. John Bosco HS) and junior Jody Gerut (Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook HS). Just two batters later, junior Josh Hochgesang (Fullerton, CA/Sunny Hills HS) hit the fourth homer of the inning - a solo shot to left field.

Stanford starter Geoff Linville (Woodinville, WA/Redmond HS) worked the first 3.0 innings to improve to 2-0. Sophomore Damien Alvarado (Sacramento, CA/Jesuit HS) added three hits and three RBI for the Cardinal, while Hochgesang also had three hits.

The Gaels scored their two runs on solo homers by senior Jeff Hebert (San Mateo, CA/Aragon HS) and junior Michael Waugh (Mission Viejo, CA/Mater Dei HS).

The Cardinal next hosts No. 5 Arizona in a three game Six-Pac set at Sunken Diamond (Fri. 7 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 1 p.m.), while Saint Mary's opens West Coast Conference play in Moraga against Loyola Marymount (Sat. DH 11 a.m., Sun. 1 p.m.).

Linescore                       R   H   E
Saint Mary's    001 100 000 --- 2   4   3
Stanford        246 001 00x --- 13  18  0
    

Siegel, Droz (2), Whitney (2), Grosz (3), Del Castillo (6), Jubb (8) and Waugh; Linville, Drew (4), Coose (5), Young (8), Cogan (9) and Alvarado. WP - Linville (2-0). LP - Siegel (0-1). 2B - Muth (STAN), Hochgesang (STAN), Alvarado (STAN). 3B - Borchard (STAN). HR - Waugh (SMC) 3rd inning, none on; Schrager (STAN) 3rd inning, one on; Muth (STAN) 3rd inning, none on; Gerut (STAN) 3rd ininng, none on; Hochgesang (STAN) 3rd inning, none on; Hebert (SMC) 4th inning, none on. Records - Saint Mary's 3-5, Stanford 17-1-1.