April 26, 1998

STANFORD, Calif. - Top-ranked Stanford University (36-8-1 overall, 18-6 in the Six-Pac) scored 12 runs in its final three at-bats to post a come-from-behind 12-4 win over visiting California (17-29, 3-23) on Sunday afternoon at Sunken Diamond.

Stanford currently leads the Six-Pac by a 0.5 game over USC (19-8) and one game over Arizona State (18-8) with two weekends to play. The Cardinal wraps up Six-Pac play with home series vs. Arizona State (May 1-3) and USC (May 9-11).

Cal scored two in the first and one in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead, before Stanford took control against the California bullpen. Senior Aaron Gordnier (Rocklin, CA/Roseville HS) had an RBI single to key the first inning rally, while freshman Xavier Nady (Salinas, CA/Salinas HS) blasted a solo homer in the fourth.

Stanford cut the deficit to 3-2 with a pair of runs in the sixth, and took the lead for good with five runs in the seventh. Sophomore Jeff Rizzo (La Jolla, CA/La Jolla HS) keyed the rally with a two-run single and Jody Gerut (Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook HS) and Josh Hochgesang (Fullerton, CA/Sunny Hills HS) added run scoring singles. The Cardinal then broke the game wide open in the eighth thanks to two-run homers from Edmund Muth (Long Beach, CA/St. John Bosco HS) and Joe Borchard (Camarillo, CA/Camarillo HS). In all, Stanford banged out 10 runs on 12 hits over the final 2.1 innings against five different Golden Bear relievers.

The late rally made a winner of freshman reliever Justin Wayne (Honolulu, HI/Punahou HS), who improved to 6-0 after allowing just three hits and one run over 4.2 innings. Offensively for the Cardinal, Borchard drove in three runs and six different Cardinal players had two hits apiece. For California, Nady led the way by going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Golden Bear starting pitcher Ryan Atkinson (San Jose, CA/Bellarmine College Prep HS) allowed just three hits and two runs over 5.2 innings, but ended up with a no-decision.

Stanford returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at 7 p.m., while Cal hosts Santa Clara on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. at Evans Diamond.

   
Linescore                               R    H   E
California      200   010   001   ---    4    8   1
Stanford        000   002   55x   ---   12   15   2

Atkinson, Cuccias (6), Vorhis (7), Steele (7), Sproul (7), Meyer (8) and Hill
Hoard, Wayne (5) and Salter, Alvarado (7)
WP - Wayne (6-0)
LP - Vorhis (2-3)
2B - Dennis (CAL), Gerut (STAN), Schrager (STAN)
HR - Nady (CAL) 5th inning, none on; Muth (STAN) 8th inning, one on; Borchard (STAN) 8th inning, one on
Records - California 17-29 overall (3-23 in the Six-Pac), Stanford 36-8-1 (18-6)