Huskies Drop Tough 12-Inning Game, 8-7, To Stanford

Saturday, May 21

Seattle, WA

2:00 PM

University of Washington

30-19, 0

Stanford

28-22, 0

Stanford

Washington

Photo by: Washington Athletics

May 22, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Washington Athletics

SEATTLE – Stanford catcher Alex Dunlap hit a 12^th inning home run to cap a 5 for 6 day and sent the visiting Cardinal to a wild, seesaw 8-7 win over Washington at Husky ballpark on Saturday.

Dunlap's blast was the third solo home run of game hit by Stanford – and sixth in two games -- and capped an improbable comeback for the Cardinal in a season-long 4 hours, 31-minute marathon.

The game was back-and-forth all day long, with the Huskies playing spoilers to the Cardinals (28-22, 12-14) for much of the game. Washington (30-19, 15-11) tied the game three times and gave the lead back to Stanford before the Huskies finally tied the game in the seventh and took the lead in the eighth inning, 7-5.

With the lead, the Huskies handed the ball over to their closer Troy Rallings for the ninth inning.

But, for just the second time this season, Rallings, who entered the day the nation's leader in ERA and second in saves, could not hold the lead.

After a lead-off single and walk, Rallings induced a ground out to put runners on the corners. Quinn Brodey promptly smacked a triple down the right field line to pick up his fourth and fifth RBI's of the game and tie the score a 7-7.

Rallings battled back to strike out the next two batters and leave the go-ahead run stranded at third base to end the ninth. The Huskies could not score, forcing extra innings.

Dunlap homered off of Ryan Schmitten (1-3) on a 1-2 pitch in the 12^th to seal the deal for the Cardinal.

The Huskies got the lead-off hitter KJ Brady on second with no one out in the bottom half of the 12th, but Stanford's Tyler Thorne (3-2) got a strikeout and pair of fly outs to end the game.

Thorne pitched the final 6 2/3 inning to pick up the win for the Cardinal.

Lost in the effort was the game had by Husky second baseman Levi Jordan. The sophomore went 4 for 6 at the plate, including his first career home run, and drove in three runs.

Stanford took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a solo home run by third baseman Mikey Diekroeger off Husky starter Joe DeMers. For Diekroeger, it was his fourth homer of the season and his second in as many days.

The Cardinal extended their lead in the fourth, scoring an unearned run to jump ahead 2-0. Designated hitter Austin Barr doubled into the left-field corner with Dunlap on base and when Kyle London misplayed the ball in the outfield, Dunlap was able to score.

The Huskies finally got the offense rolling and tied things up in the fifth on Jordan's home run. Jordan took the first pitch he saw from Stanford starter Chris Castellanos and hammered it deep over the left-field fence for a two-run shot. Joey Morgan, who led off the inning with a single, scored ahead of Jordan.

Stanford wasted little time in responding to the Huskies' two-spot in the fifth, re-taking the lead on another solo home run. Quinn Brodey took a 1-0 pitch from Spencer Jones deep off the batter's eye in center field to give the Cardinal a 3-2 lead. It was their fifth solo home run of the series.

But Washington answered right back in the bottom of the sixth on a lead-off solo home run from London to tie the game back up, 3-3. The junior left fielder deposited a 3-2 pitch from Castellanos deep into the Stanford bullpen. Like Jordan, it was London's first career home run in his 137th game as a Husky.

The Cardinal re-took the lead in the seventh, rallying for two runs after there were two outs in the inning. Brodey, followed his homer an inning before with a two-run double, that just eluded London's glove as he made a diving attempt in left-center field.

Once again, the Huskies did not roll over and scored twice in the bottom of the inning to tie things back up. MJ Hubbs and Jordan singled to start the inning and were sacrificed into scoring position by AJ Graffanino. London drove Hubbs home on a ground out and Jack Meggs tied the game up with a RBI single to center field.

In the eighth, the Huskies took the two-run lead, 7-5, and seemingly had the game in hand with Rallings waiting in the wings. John Naff singled home Brady from second to give the Huskies their first lead of the game, 6-5, and Jordan added an insurance run with a RBI single – his fourth hit of the game.

The loss evens the three-game series at 1-1. The Huskies remain second in the Pac-12 standings, but could fall a game and a half behind Utah, depending on the results of their game against Cal later in the evening.

The Huskies and Cardinal wrap up the series Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. with senior ceremonies taking place at approximately 11:30 a.m.

Stanford 8 (28-22, 12-14), No. 17 Washington 7 (30-19, 15-11) - 12 innings

STAN 010 001 202 001 –- 8 14 2
WASH 000 021 220 000 –- 7 13 2

LOB: STAN 10, UW 10. Chris Castellanos, Tyler Thorne (6) and Alex Dunlap; Joe DeMers, Spencer Jones (5), Greg Minier (7), Ryan Schmitten (11) and Joey Morgan. W – Thorne (3-2). L – Schmitten (1-3). SV – none. HR – STAN, Mikey Diekroeger (4), Quinn Brodey (7), Aaron Dunlap (3); UW, Levi Jordan (1), Kyle London (1). 3B – STAN, Quinn Brodey. 2B – STAN, Alex Dunlap, Aaron Barr, Quinn Brodey. Time – 4:31. Attendance – 719.