Baseball team comes up short against Stanford

Eric M. Jukelevics Arizona Daily Wildcat Junior first baseman Mike Meyer (4) tries to catch a Stanford runner off guard at first base during yesterday's game at Sancet Field. The Cardinal defeated the Wildcats 12-11 to sweep the three-game series.

After scoring six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and three more off the bat of freshman right fielder Shelley Duncan, who connected for his 13th home run of the season in the sixth inning, the Wildcats led 11-9.

Sophomore relief pitcher Wesley Zlotoff, who came in to relieve freshman Brian Pemble in the fifth inning, was going strong until fatigue set in and he gave up two runs and recorded no outs in the eighth inning en route to his second loss in three decisions on the season.

Junior David Capek came in and proceeded to get out of the inning, but not before Stanford junior pinch hitter Craig Thompson hit a sacrifice fly to right field deep enough to drive in the go-ahead and game-winning run by senior Josh Hochgesang.

"This is a really tough one to take because we came back from a long way down to see it slip away," UA head coach Jerry Stitt said.

Stanford came out swinging to start the game as they scored eight of their 12 runs in the first three innings, including two three-run home runs in the third inning by Hochgesang and junior Stephen Chan, whose home run was the first of his career.

The Wildcats then went on their tear by scoring nine runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

"It was a good game, we battled hard, but they just came back ahead," UA junior center fielder Troy Gingrich said. "I just look at it as a loss. We had them beat and we let them back in it."

Duncan's home run over the left field wall, his second in as many days, came with the Wildcats trailing 9-8 with only one out in the bottom of the sixth inning.

"I don't know if we expect it from him, but I have been playing with Shelley long enough to know that he always gets the big hit when we need it," UA junior catcher Dennis Anderson said of Duncan's clutch hitting. "I just assume he will come through."

The Wildcats did have a chance in the bottom of the ninth as Gingrich had a two-out single, but sophomore shortstop Keoni DeRenne flied out to Stanford sophomore right fielder Joe Borchard, who made a running catch at the wall to end the game.

Borchard also burned the Wildcats at the plate as he had career-high four singles in six at-bats and scored three runs.

The Wildcats also lost the first two games of the series 8-4 Friday night with junior Josh Pearce taking the loss, and 12-4 Saturday night with freshman Ben Diggins taking a pounding.

"We will be back ready next week and hopefully we can sweep Washington," Gingrich said.

Dan Rosen can be reached at Dan.Rosen@wildcat.arizona.edu.