Stanford: Inman shuts down Dogs

By Alex Gyr - February 11, 2007

We just went final in game one here in Palo Alto, as the Cardinal built on its 6-1 lead entering today's action and took the 9-2 decision. Jeff Inman looked dominant in five innings of work, allowing just one run with two outs in the top of the ninth, when the game was already out of reach. Freshman Adam Gaylord drove in a run in today's session and a pair of Bulldog errors ruled out any chance of a comeback.

I know I said I would let the weather go, but it has turned into a beautiful day at Sunken Diamond. There are still a few lingering clouds, but right no it feels more like May than February.

Game two is scheduled to start at 2:55, with Jeremey Bleich getting the start for the Card. Bleich came into preseason practices as the frontrunner for the Saturday starter role, but Inman snatched it away. Still, Bleich is one of the top pitching prospects in the Pac-10. A lefty with great control, I wouldn't be surprised to see Bleich become a star someday. He took a loss against Fullerton last weekend, but really that "L" should go to the bullpen, who allowed 11 runs in one inning last Sunday.

Fresno State is going with Clayton Allison, but offense might be more of a concern at this point. The Bulldogs have scored just 15 runs in their first five games this season. Brian Lapin and Tommy Mendonca each had a pair of hits in game one.

So, as they say, "Let's play one and a half." Game two starts at 2:55 PT and I'll be back after the game ends with some final thoughts on the two-game series.