Stanford held on to beat Fresno State 8-6 Sunday night to force a winner-take-all game Monday at 7 p.m. The win Sunday took more than four hours to complete and included a bit of everything.
Erik Miller and Jack Little combined to strike out 18 Fresno State hitters, although the strike zone was fluid for both teams and the Bulldogs lost relief pitcher Jamison Hill because he was ejected after arguing about it.
Miller's performance was better than might be suggested by Fresno State scoring six runs. His worst inning was in the top of the fourth after the bottom of the third inning lasted more than 30 minutes. McCarthy Tatum launched the first pitch of the top of the fourth for a home run. Miller clearly had lost his rhythm and a good lineup pounced.
But then Miller blitzed through the fifth inning and was on track for a similar effort in the sixth inning before Stanford's defense fell apart in the infield. A throwing error by Tim Tawa opened the door and then Duke Kinamon booted a ball to keep Fresno State's rally going. Fresno State scored two unearned runs with two outs, forcing Miller out of the game.
This game meant a lot to Miller. He lost this elimination game each of the past two years and he's come a long way this past year.
Grech made a cameo and got one critical out but handed the ball to Little in the seventh inning after allowing the leadoff man to reach. Little escaped a jam with runners on the corners with no outs with the help of the most exciting type of double play.
Little struck out the side after a HBP in the eighth and worked around a leadoff single in the ninth. He is now the career saves leader for Stanford.
Stanford should have had a more productive game from the batter's box but a combination of bad luck, bad decisions and just enough timely pitching by Fresno State "limited" the Cardinal to eight.
Kyle Stowers was robbed of a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first when Jeff Jamison made a great leaping catch in left field. Stanford still scored a run that inning off an RBI double by Matthiessen. Stanford scored again in the second, although another great catch, this time by Zach Ashford in center, saved what would have been a two-RBI double by Maverick Handley.
The Cardinal pushed across two more in the bottom of the third and also a missed an opportunity to open up the game comfortably beyond a 4-0 lead.
Fresno State starter Nikoh Mitchell walked seven batters. He couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. But with runners on first and third with one out, Kinamon tried to score on a passed ball that didn't stray far from the plate. He was tagged out. Mitchell walked two more batters that inning for a total of four but got Kyle Stowers to fly out. With an erratic pitcher on the ropes Kinamon's aggressiveness was unnecessary.
He ran into another out when he tried to stretch an RBI single into a double in the fourth inning.
The base running mistakes and fielding errors helped Fresno State stay in the game, but the Cardinal did enough to hold off a feisty Fresno State.
Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole ruled out using his ace, Ryan Jensen, Monday. Jensen threw 110 pitches Friday night.
Esquer wouldn't say who he would start Monday. One guess is he'll start Brendan Beck "starts" and maybe goes two or three innings before handing it off to Jacob Palisch. I think starting Palisch is more likely because he has some experience with that this season. Austin Weiermiller and Zach Grech are the other top guys who probably have the most in the tank. I could see Little pitching an inning.
Postgame Press Conference
Do you think the scoreboard accurately reflects what Miller did tonight?
Esquer: "No, I really don't. I thought he pitched just outstanding against a really tough lineup. We talk about it that sometimes when you play games at this level it creates pressure and you make mistakes you don't normally make. It takes a game at this high a level that will create that. Our kids are learning how to be comfortable in that environment. They're learning from it."
Last two years this is the game you've ended your season. How does it feel to get over the hump? How much confidence does it give you?
Esquer: "I'm so proud of Erik. He has pitched this game for us the last three years and he came out with one of his best efforts of the year against a really good lineup. He kept us in the ballgame and did all he could for us. Great win for us."
How would you describe how a lot of the work you've done has led to tonight?
Miller: "Yeah, I think this is a pretty good culmination of all the work I've put in this past year. Honestly this game had a lot of meaning for me. I've lost it the last two years. I had a personal vendetta going into this. I told myself that I wasn't going to allow us to lose this game. It wasn't going to be on my watch. That's the mindset I had going into it. I think it reflected everything I've gone through the past year and the way I've grown overall."
Jack Little on becoming saves leader: "It's awesome. More important I'm really excited for us to pick up the win tonight. That's huge to keep our season going."
Jack, is there any way if you were needed you'd go out?
Little: "I'm definitely ready to go. You can count on that."
Runs left on the field: (Esquer) "We left a lot out there. We got thrown out at home plate on a wild pitch. We had a home run taken back from over the fence. We had second and third with one out and didn't score. It was one of those games when you knew it would be difficult to separate."
Erik Miller and Jack Little combined to strike out 18 Fresno State hitters, although the strike zone was fluid for both teams and the Bulldogs lost relief pitcher Jamison Hill because he was ejected after arguing about it.
Miller's performance was better than might be suggested by Fresno State scoring six runs. His worst inning was in the top of the fourth after the bottom of the third inning lasted more than 30 minutes. McCarthy Tatum launched the first pitch of the top of the fourth for a home run. Miller clearly had lost his rhythm and a good lineup pounced.
But then Miller blitzed through the fifth inning and was on track for a similar effort in the sixth inning before Stanford's defense fell apart in the infield. A throwing error by Tim Tawa opened the door and then Duke Kinamon booted a ball to keep Fresno State's rally going. Fresno State scored two unearned runs with two outs, forcing Miller out of the game.
This game meant a lot to Miller. He lost this elimination game each of the past two years and he's come a long way this past year.
Grech made a cameo and got one critical out but handed the ball to Little in the seventh inning after allowing the leadoff man to reach. Little escaped a jam with runners on the corners with no outs with the help of the most exciting type of double play.
Little struck out the side after a HBP in the eighth and worked around a leadoff single in the ninth. He is now the career saves leader for Stanford.
Stanford should have had a more productive game from the batter's box but a combination of bad luck, bad decisions and just enough timely pitching by Fresno State "limited" the Cardinal to eight.
Kyle Stowers was robbed of a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first when Jeff Jamison made a great leaping catch in left field. Stanford still scored a run that inning off an RBI double by Matthiessen. Stanford scored again in the second, although another great catch, this time by Zach Ashford in center, saved what would have been a two-RBI double by Maverick Handley.
The Cardinal pushed across two more in the bottom of the third and also a missed an opportunity to open up the game comfortably beyond a 4-0 lead.
Fresno State starter Nikoh Mitchell walked seven batters. He couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. But with runners on first and third with one out, Kinamon tried to score on a passed ball that didn't stray far from the plate. He was tagged out. Mitchell walked two more batters that inning for a total of four but got Kyle Stowers to fly out. With an erratic pitcher on the ropes Kinamon's aggressiveness was unnecessary.
He ran into another out when he tried to stretch an RBI single into a double in the fourth inning.
The base running mistakes and fielding errors helped Fresno State stay in the game, but the Cardinal did enough to hold off a feisty Fresno State.
Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole ruled out using his ace, Ryan Jensen, Monday. Jensen threw 110 pitches Friday night.
Esquer wouldn't say who he would start Monday. One guess is he'll start Brendan Beck "starts" and maybe goes two or three innings before handing it off to Jacob Palisch. I think starting Palisch is more likely because he has some experience with that this season. Austin Weiermiller and Zach Grech are the other top guys who probably have the most in the tank. I could see Little pitching an inning.
Postgame Press Conference
Do you think the scoreboard accurately reflects what Miller did tonight?
Esquer: "No, I really don't. I thought he pitched just outstanding against a really tough lineup. We talk about it that sometimes when you play games at this level it creates pressure and you make mistakes you don't normally make. It takes a game at this high a level that will create that. Our kids are learning how to be comfortable in that environment. They're learning from it."
Last two years this is the game you've ended your season. How does it feel to get over the hump? How much confidence does it give you?
Esquer: "I'm so proud of Erik. He has pitched this game for us the last three years and he came out with one of his best efforts of the year against a really good lineup. He kept us in the ballgame and did all he could for us. Great win for us."
How would you describe how a lot of the work you've done has led to tonight?
Miller: "Yeah, I think this is a pretty good culmination of all the work I've put in this past year. Honestly this game had a lot of meaning for me. I've lost it the last two years. I had a personal vendetta going into this. I told myself that I wasn't going to allow us to lose this game. It wasn't going to be on my watch. That's the mindset I had going into it. I think it reflected everything I've gone through the past year and the way I've grown overall."
Jack Little on becoming saves leader: "It's awesome. More important I'm really excited for us to pick up the win tonight. That's huge to keep our season going."
Jack, is there any way if you were needed you'd go out?
Little: "I'm definitely ready to go. You can count on that."
Runs left on the field: (Esquer) "We left a lot out there. We got thrown out at home plate on a wild pitch. We had a home run taken back from over the fence. We had second and third with one out and didn't score. It was one of those games when you knew it would be difficult to separate."
