Stanford: Wild walkoff win for the Card

By Alex Gyr - April 28, 2007

It took 11 innings and two Stanford comebacks, but the Cardinal have finally beaten Oregon State. Michael Taylor was the hero for Stanford, hitting a three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning to give Stanford a 9-7 win. Oregon State was one strike away from winning its seventh straight over Stanford before Taylor took a 2-2 slider from Greg Keim out to left field.

Oregon State had two chances to close out the series win, once in the ninth and once in the 11th. The Beavers took a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth, but OSU closer Eddie Kunz walked three and hit freshman outfielder Toby Gerhart to drive in the game tying run. Kunz did get Taylor to hit into an inning-ending double play, however, to send the game to extras.

The Beavers also had a chance to win it in the 11th. Jordan Lennerton hit his second home run of the game to lead off the top of the inning, but the champs stranded two runners that could have added some insurances. Stanford outfielder Joey August led off the bottom half of the inning with a single off of Anton Maxwell and Sean Ratliff walked two batters later to set up Taylors heroics. With two gone and runners at first and second Taylor hit a 2-2 pitch out for the walkoff win.

Two Stanford coaches were ejected in the game. Head coach Mark Marquess was thrown out for arguing balls and strikes in the top of the 10th. He did not go down quietly and I really think that that fired Stanford's guys up. Third base coach Dean Stotz was actually ejected as he was walking off the field after Taylor's home run and didn't realize it until well after the game had ended. It was heated all through the extra innings, especially after Marquess got tossed.

Taylor had another big play in the extra frames when he threw out a runner trying to score from second on a base hit from right field. With one out in the 10th and runners at first and second, Mitch Canham singled sharply to right. Joey Wong tried to score from second, but Taylor gunned him out by at least a step.

Oregon State was 28-0 before today when leading after eight innings, which is a testament to Kunz and the whole OSU bullpen. But today, they looked vulnerable and wild. Maxwell took the loss, but Kunz and Keim also struggled. Nolan Gallagher took the win for Stanford in his third relief appearance of the season after starting ten games in the weekend rotation. The junior righty threw five innings in relief of Jeffrey Inman and surrendered three runs. OSU starter Joe Paterson took a ND after giving up four runs in seven innings.

Really a wild one from start to finish. Stanford took a couple of early leads, but could never gain any traction. Every time the Cardinal scored, OSU answered right back, until the Beavers finally took the lead in the eigth. Jeff Whitlow hit a solo home run for Stanford early.

The two teams will be back at it again tomorrow and if the first two games are any indication, Sunday's game could be another good one. Last night's contest was really closer than the 13-7 score would indicate (OSU scored three in the ninth to put it away) and today was hands down the most exciting game I have seen all season.

Stanford needed a win today to keep their slim/very, very slim postseason hopes alive. They need another victory tomorrow, and probably need to win 14 of their last 16 games to have any shot. OSU's chances of winning the Pac-10 took a little bit of a hit, especially with UCLA and Arizona State each winning. That OSU/ASU series in Corvallis in three weeks will be huge. The Beavs also close out the regular season at UCLA.

I'll be back tomorrow with the rubber game. It will be Erik Davis throwing for Stanford and Jorge Reyes going for OSU. Davis got some national attention when he was hit in the face with a line drive while pitching in the Cape Cod League last summer. Davis required multiple facial surgeries and was forced to undergo a legnthy recovery process. Amazingly, Davis was back and pitching last fall and has been one of Stanford's top pitchers this year out of the bullpen. He started last Wednesday against Fresno State, but will be called on again on short rest to make his first career weekend start.

As usual I'll bring a little pregame analysis and follow it up with a recap. It was a wild one today, and it should be just as fun tomorrow.