Baseball team takes one of three from No. 1 Stanford

Coming into this season, the Stanford baseball team had a lot of respect.

Ranked No. 1 in the country, the Cardinal was the favorite to win its first national championship in 10 years.

In comparison, the Arizona baseball team entered the season ranked only 24th.

It was a team that had struggled over the past few years - a team that had fallen far from the days of being a mainstay in the College World Series.

Arizona, now ranked fifth in the country, traveled this past weekend to play No. 1 Stanford at Sunken Diamond in Palo Alto, Calif.

And lo and behold, the Wildcats came away with a win and some respect.

Now 5-4 in the Pacific 10 Conference Southern Division, the Wildcats (23-4 overall) have survived their two toughest road trips of the year, having gone 1-2 earlier in the season at second-ranked Southern Cal.

Though Arizona dropped yesterday's game 10-4 and Friday's 13-4, Saturday's 9-5 victory showed that the Wildcats can contend in the Six-Pac.

Yesterday's loss saw Stanford jump out to a 10-0 lead before Arizona even got on the scoreboard, until a three-run homer by senior first baseman Kenny Corley.

UA southpaw James Johnson dropped to 4-1 on the year. Cardinal center fielder Jody Gerut hit a solo homer that capped a big fourth inning where Stanford scored four runs.

The Cardinal (19-2-1, 7-2 in the Six-Pac) started the season looking unbeatable, pounding UCLA in Los Angeles by the combined score of 54-19 and then taking the first two games at Arizona State 32-7.

But the Sun Devils proved Stanford was mortal, beating the Cardinal 4-2 in the third game of its series.

Arizona then made an even bigger statement by going in and defeating Stanford on the Cardinal's home field.

UA junior third baseman Omar Moraga swung the big bat in the series, going 3 for 5 with a solo home run in Saturday's win.

The Wildcats showed off their power Saturday, with junior catcher Greg Clark hitting his ninth of season, along with shots by junior designated hitter Russ Brown (2) and senior right fielder Colin Porter (5).

Friday's game saw Arizona jump out to a 3-0 lead with Moraga, Corley and senior left fielder Jason Hendricks each driving in a run.

Then Stanford exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the third, with junior third baseman Josh Hochgesang driving in three on a bases-clearing double.