Feb. 18, 2014
San Jose, Calif. --- San Jose State dropped its third straight game with a 9-3 loss to Stanford in nonconference action on Tuesday night at Municipal Stadium. One common factor in the three losses - being the victim of a big inning.
Stanford (2-2) broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth with five runs on three hits. The Spartans (1-3) extended the inning with an error, a hit batsman and a bases-loaded walk. It's the third game in a row that SJSU has allowed four or more runs in a single inning.
"You look at the line score and if you take away the big inning, it's a close game," said San Jose State head coach Dave Nakama. "The big innings happen because we make bad decisions and don't throw strikes."
The Cardinal broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth when Sheldon Daquioag's throw to second skipped in the dirt, allowing Wayne Taylor to score from third. Austin Slater's 2-run double, and Tommy Edman's walk with the bases loaded to furthered the damage. A sac-fly by Drew Jackson scored the fifth run of the frame, giving Stanford an 8-3 lead.
Each team scored twice in the second inning. Matt Carroll reached on a Stanford error and came around to score three batters later on a Matt Lopez single to left-center. Brett Bautista, who walked, scored on a sacrifice fly hit by Alec de Watteville which evened the score 2-2.
Andre Mercurio skipped one over the first base bag for his second triple in as many games to start the Spartans' third inning. He scored the go-ahead run one batter later on a throwing error by the second baseman Edman.
Brett Michael Duran collected his third RBI on a single to center to make it a 3-3 ballgame in the top of the fourth. Duran and Slater each finished the game with three RBI for Stanford.
Tyler Thorne (1-0) allowed three runs, one earned on four hits in 6.0 innings of work on the way to earning the win. James Logan and Griffin Weir combined for three innings of shutout ball out of the Stanford pen.
Spartan starter Carter Johnson was lifted after the second inning after allowing two runs, one earned on three hits. Ross Slaney (0-1) replaced Johnson and took the loss giving up two earned runs on five hits in two innings.
"These midweek games are very important for our pitching," Nakama said. "We get to see who can come in and throw strikes, and who can't. It gives us a chance to see who we can rely on early in the season and who might need some more work."
San Jose State is back at it tomorrow night in Stockton, Calif., to take on Pacific for a 6:00 p.m. start. Right-hander Michael Wright will start for SJSU. The Tigers will send left John Haberman to the hill.