ATHERTON, Calif. - In the penultimate series of the season, Stanford faced off against #1 Santa Clara in a clash between the only remaining undefeated in-conference NCBA Pacific North squads. Inclement weather shortened the top-ranked confrontation to two games, both played on Saturday (with a third game postponed until later notice). Neither team emerged unscathed, as Stanford dropped the first of the twin bill by a score of 4-2 but triumphed in the second, 6-4.
Santa Clara spoiled Stanford's perfect conference record in a hard-fought Game 1. The Broncos never trailed and staved off a late Stanford rally to secure a share of the series spoils, 4-2.
Santa Clara opened their account in the top of the second. With rain sprinkling down at Cartan Field, a leadoff single and a 12-pitch walk placed a couple of men on base. The Bronco skipper called for a sac bunt - a decent sacrifice, but strong enough for starting pitcher Donnie Raymond to cut the lead runner down at third. However, Raymond threw it away, allowing Santa Clara to take a 1-0 lead. A passed ball moved runners to second and third with no outs, but Raymond struck out the next three in order to escape the jam. The Cardinal responded with a Caden Denning double, Joseph Seddon single, and Angel Piña sac fly to level the score in the bottom half, before a bases-loaded Raymond flyout ended the inning. Santa Clara surged back ahead in the top of the third with a two-out single and tacked on another in the fourth.
Gregory Block and Will Ogden Director of Baseball Evan Schieber lifted Raymond after the fifth in favor of Cooper Tenney. Raymond finished with a 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 8 K line, while sustaining the loss. Tenney only faced two batters before exiting due to injury, thrusting junior OF/RHP Angel Villeraldo Amador into the spotlight. Villeraldo, who earlier made a spectacular, full-extension diving grab, was able to limit the damage after coming in cold. He only allowed Tenney's baserunner to score, leaving Stanford trailing 4-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
It turned out to be a dramatic half-inning. The Bronco decision-makers opted to go to their "closer" in the save situation to face the 2-3-4 hitters in Stanford's order. Things did not immediately go to plan for the Santa Clara reliever. Danny Gass was promptly issued a four-pitch free pass, and Raymond walked on seven pitches to bring the tying run to the plate with nobody out. After a strikeout, a Tenney walk loaded the bases. With the game on a knife's edge, Caden Denning bounced into a fielder's choice, taking the score to 4-2 with two down. With the tying run at first and the go-ahead run at the plate, Joseph Seddon went down on strikes to put the first contest in the books.
Game 2 was almost the exact opposite story. Stanford was powered offensively by Caden Denning and rode a stubborn starting performance from sophomore Joseph Seddon to snatch the afternoon game, 6-4.
On the mound, Santa Clara nearly got to Seddon before he could settle in, after a single, throwing error on a doubleplay ball, and single loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first. However, Seddon was able to induce a chopper down the line to third baseman Donnie Raymond, who stepped on the bag while simultaneously firing straight on line but low to first, where freshman Dean Perry made a marvelous back-handed pick to end the inning. This time, Stanford hopped on the board first with an RBI triple from Caden Denning to score Donnie Raymond. In the bottom of the fourth, Angel Piña singled to drive in Denning and widen the gap to 2-0. After a Bronco double halved the deficit, Stanford plated four in the bottom of the fifth to blow the game open, 6-1. An RBI Danny Gass triple and run-scoring Angel Piña single highlighted the fruitful last of the fifth.
With six outs remaining, Santa Clara clawed back with the vigor of a #1 team fighting to protect an unblemished in-conference record. A double, an error, and two singles brought home two Broncos in the sixth. In the seventh, Schieber decided to stick with Seddon to protect the 6-3 lead. After a groundout to start the inning, a walk and two singles brought the winning run to the plate with one out. Seddon induced a hard ground ball to second base - a tailor-made double play ball - but a bobble meant the Cardinal could only record a fielder's choice, bringing in the fourth Bronco run. With tensions at a high, Seddon invoked a fly ball to center field, which Danny Gass welcomed with an open glove to put the competition in the books, 6-4.
Seddon carried the freight on the mound. The plucky right-hander went 7 strong innings, scattering nine hits and four walks to the tune of four runs (three earned) while punching out two. Denning had an exemplary game at the plate to lead the Cardinal to victory. The graduate student from Henderson, NV tripled in a run in the first, singled in the fourth, and singled in the fifth. He went 3-3 with two runs and a run batted in while swiping three bags. Angel Piña, Danny Gass, and Cooper Tenney all reached base on multiple occasions, as well.
The split means the NCBA Pacific North will not have an undefeated champion. Santa Clara will go into their final two weekends 14-2 (12-1). They are still yet to play Menlo, and they'll potentially play a single makeup game against both USF and Stanford. Stanford boasts a 14-3 (13-1) record as they head into the final series of the year against Saint Mary's. First pitch against the Gaels will be 11:00 AM on Saturday, April 18, at Carlmont High School.
