May 4, 2012

Box Score

CORVALLIS, Ore.-- Mark Appel (7-1) pitched seven strong innings and No. 7-ranked Stanford (29-12, 11-8 Pac-12) scored eight runs over the final two innings to beat host Oregon State (28-15, 9-10 Pac-12) 8-2 on Friday evening.

Stephen Piscotty and Brian Ragira had three hits and Alex Blandino had three doubles and two RBIs. Austin Wilson also drove in three runs.

Appel exited after seven innings, in which he gave up two runs on nine hits with no walks and four strikeouts. He left after the Cardinal erased a 2-0 lead in the eighth.

In the eighth, against three Beaver pitchers, Stanford produced four-straight hits to take a 3-2 lead. Stanford then added five runs in the ninth to lead 7-2.

Two hits to start the eighth chased starter Ben Wetzler from the game. Wilson then sent a ball to the center field wall for a two-run triple against reliever Ryan Gorton (1-1), tying it at 2-2, before Blandino's double made it 3-2.

Ragira finished his night 3-for-4 with an RBI single in the ninth. Wilson added his third RBI of the night with a fielder's choice, before Blandino's RBI double made it 6-2. A pinch-hit double by Dominic Jose made it 7-2, followed by an Eric Smith RBI made it 8-2.

Wetzler gave up two runs on seven hits over 7.0-plus innings, in what was once a pitcher's duel, and a scoreless game through six. OSU emptied its bullpen with six additional pitchers after that.

Tyler Smith broke the stalemate in the seventh, hitting a two-out double to left to give OSU a 1-0 lead. The Pac-12's leading RBI man, Michael Conforto, then drove a ball up the middle for an RBI single to make it 2-0.

Appel four times stranded a Beaver in scoring position, rolling two groundouts to third and  producing two strikeouts to keep it scoreless through six innings. Shortstop Kenny Diekroeger also threw out a runner at the plate in the sixth.

NOTES: A.J. Vanegas, after a perfect eighth and scoreless ninth, got his second career save.
… Mark Appel has not walked a batter over the last 17.0 innings, spanning two full starts and mid-way through his start with Arizona State three weeks ago... the first three hits by the Beavers went a combined 60 feet, pace by two swinging bunts and a bunt base hit.... the Cardinal-OSU series continues on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. Saturday's game is on Root TV (DirectTV 687, Dish 426).