May 6, 2008

Final Stats

(San Francisco, CA) - San Francisco avenged its 11-10, 11 inning loss at Stanford on April 16, by defeating the No. 6 Cardinal (28-16-2) 13-6 at Benedetti Diamond on Tuesday afternoon. USF (29-21) smashed 16 hits, with three players earning three hits a piece.

Senior designated hitter Matt Lieb had his best game of the season, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Sophomore catcher Ryan Lipkin (3-for-5, one run scored) and freshman third baseman Stephen Yarrow (3-for-5, double, one RBI, two runs scored) added to the Dons hits assault with three of their own. Senior second baseman Joey Railey went 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, an RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Railey now has 228 career hits, trailing Arnie Sambel (1987-90) by just eight base knocks. His two walks also leave him just seven behind third place Ted Langowski (1998-91) on the all time free pass chart.

Sophomore shortstop Derek Poppert smashed two hits and scored a run. Senior first baseman Mitchell Bialosky hit a huge three-run homerun in the fourth, his team leading sixth of the year. Senior right fielder Kyle Morgan and junior left fielder Zach Kim each added one base hit.

In the first, USF plated two off a wild Alex Pracher. The freshman right-hander gave up a lead off double to Railey, who moved to third on a passed ball, and scored on a wild pitch. Freshman center fielder Connor Bernatz walked, moved to second on another wild pitch, and scored after two consecutive fly outs.

Stanford plated three in the second, from a big three-run bomb off the bat off junior center fielder Sean Ratliff, his third homerun in four games. USF tied it in the bottom of the frame when Yarrow doubled and scored on Lieb's single through the right side.

USF opened the game up with a seven spot in the fourth. With two on, Lieb smashed another RBI single, this time through the right side. Railey walked to load the bases, and an out later, Morgan singled to right, plating two. Morgan and Railey were brought home on Bialosky's homer to left. The final run of the inning ended up being off a non-play. Kim and Lipkin were at third and first respectively, when Lipkin took off for second base. Stanford's junior catcher, Jason Castro, threw to junior second baseman Cord Phelps trying to get Lipkin, while Kim broke for home. Lipkin was safe at second and Phelps throw to the plate wasn't in time as Kim slid underneath the tag to make it 10-3.

Going into the eighth inning down 11-6, Stanford staged a rally, plating three more off a three-run homerun to right field, this time by senior right fielder Brendan Domaracki. The long ball brought the game to within two, 11-9. USF would not be out done, scoring twice in the bottom half of the eighth, extending the lead to four runs, 13-9. Bialosky threw a perfect ninth to preserve the win for the Dons and for freshman left-hander Garrett Luippold (4-1), who earned the victory in relief. Luippold allowed three runs (one earned) off three hits, a walk, and two strikeouts in 3.1 innings. Freshman right-hander Sean Burns started, allowing three earned runs off two hits, two walks and two strikeouts in 1.2 innings. Sophomore right-hander Alex Kalogrides allowed the Cardinal's final three runs (all earned), off three hits and struck out five batters in 3.0 innings of relief.

Senior right-hander David Stringer (2-1) earned the loss in relief, allowing three earned runs off four hits and one strikeout in 1.2 innings. Pracher started, allowing three earned runs off four hits, one walk, and one strikeout in 1.1 innings.

USF hosts Saint Mary's tomorrow in a 3:00 PM non-conference match up at Benedetti Diamond.