NCAA West I Baseball Regional : Stanford Gets a Trip to Omaha With 7-1 Win Over Pepperdine

Beginning its journey to the College World Series with a walk, Stanford won the NCAA West I Regional baseball tournament Monday with a 7-1 victory over Pepperdine at Sunken Diamond.

The Cardinal (46-13) broke open a 3-1 game in the seventh inning with four runs on two hits--and five walks--to eliminate the Waves (52-15), who used four pitchers to try to stop the rally.

‘We played an extra game, and we came up short,” said Pepperdine Coach Dave Gorrie, whose team won three games after a tournament-opening loss to Nebraska. “But that’s what you get for losing.”

Jeff Ballard threw a three-hitter and retired the last 20 batters he faced to give Stanford, the nation’s second-ranked team, its third trip to Omaha for the College World Series in four years.

Pepperdine’s only run off Ballard came in the second inning on Brad Bierley’s leadoff home run, his 27th. Stanford got the run back in the third on Pete Stanicek’s RBI single that scored Reuben Amaro.

Tony Lewis took a two-hitter into the sixth for the Waves but was touched for three consecutive singles to open the inning. Rick Lundblade and Walt Harris had RBIs in the inning for the Cardinal.

Stanford blew the game open in the seventh. Tournament Most Valuable Player John Ramos hit his ninth home run to begin the inning, and Lewis departed a single and a walk later.

Freshman Pat Dubar relieved Lewis, and he left one batter--and one walk--later. Sunday’s winner, Mike Fetters, was summoned, but he allowed two walks sandwiched around Lundblade’s sacrifice fly before leaving.