March 21, 1998

STANFORD, CA --- Jody Gerut (Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook HS) and Jay Pecci (Novato, CA/San Marin HS) hit back-to-back homers in the bottom of the first ininng to help top-ranked Stanford (21-2-1) defeat No. 20 Washington (12-5) on Saturday afternoon at Sunken Diamond. The game, which was delayed for 46 minutes at the outset by rain, marked the first time since 1977 that Stanford played a regular season game against a Pac-10 Northern Division opponent.

Leading off the bottom of the first, Gerut hit the first pitch he saw from Husky starter Matt Hampton (Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee Valley CC) over the right field fence for his team-high ninth homer. Pecci hit the very next pitch to nearly the same spot in right field for his fourth round-tripper of the year. The Cardinal didn't relinquish the lead from there to improve to 14-0-1 in nonconference play.

Junior Jeff Austin (Kingwood, TX/Kingwood HS) protected the lead from there to improve to 7-0. Austin worked 6.0 innings and allowed nine hits and three runs, one earned, while walking three and striking out two. He also picked off three runners in the first inning alone - two off first and one off second. The Cardinal threw out five Huskies on the bases in all, including one at home plate in the sixth and the eventual tying run at second in the top of the ninth.

Offensively for Stanford, Josh Hochgesang (Fullerton, CA/Sunny Hills HS) hit a solo homer in the third inning, and Pecci added two hits to increase his hitting streak to 14 games. Freshman Justin Wayne (Honolulu, HI/Punahou HS) worked the final 3.0 innings on the mound to earn his third save.

Junior Chris Magruder (Yakima, WA/West Valley HS) keyed a 12-hit Husky attack by going 3-3, including a two-RBI double in the fifth. Junior Ryan Bundy (Lake Stevens, WA/Lake Stevens HS) added a solo homer in the top of the ninth to cut the Cardinal lead to 5-4, but the defending Pacific-10 Conference champions could get no closer.

The Cardinal and Huskies will meet again on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Sunken Diamond.

LINESCORE
at Sunken Diamond, Stanford, Calif.
No. 1 Stanford 5, No. 20 Washington 4

Washington  000 021 001 -- 4 12 1
Stanford    202 010 00x -- 5 9  0

Matt Hampton, Jeff Heaverlo (3) and Ryan Bundy. Jeff Austin, Justin Wayne (7) and John Salter. W - Austin (7-0). L - Hampton (3-2). Sv - Wayne (3). 2B - UW, Kevin Miller, Chris Magruder 2, Jim Na; SU, Edmund Muth. HR - UW, Bundy (3); SU, Jody Gerut (9), Jay Pecci (4), Josh Hochgesang (3). T - 2:52. A - 1,276.