Garko’s Homers Lead Stanford

Ryan Garko hit two home runs and drove in five runs and Danny Putnam hit a grand slam Sunday as Stanford defeated Richmond, 19-6, to win the NCAA baseball regional at Stanford.

Carlos Quentin also homered and Mark Romanczuk (11-0) tied a Stanford freshman record for most victories without a loss after giving up three runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked five.

Stanford (44-15) will play Long Beach State in a best-of-three super regional beginning Friday. The Cardinal has won 16 of its last 17 games.

Garko, an All-American from Anaheim Servite High, went three for five to raise his batting average to .422. He’s trying to become the first Stanford player to hit .400 or better since David McCarty hit .420 in 1991.

Richmond’s Tim Rice (5-3) gave up six runs and five hits in his first appearance since May 11. Putnam hit his grand slam in the seventh to give Stanford a 15-3 lead.

Richmond (48-15) failed in its bid to win a second consecutive regional title. Stanford won its fifth consecutive regional.

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At Tempe, Ariz., Jeff Larish homered and drove in three runs, leading a 19-hit attack that carried Arizona State (53-12) to a 16-1 victory over Nevada Las Vegas (47-17). The Sun Devils advanced to a super regional this weekend against Cal State Fullerton (46-13).

Arizona State starter Ben Thurmond (7-0) worked five scoreless innings, giving up three hits and three walks. The Sun Devils outscored three opponents, 45-3, in its regional.

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In other regionals:

Top-seeded Florida State (54-11-1) needed two wins at Tallahassee, Fla., to advance to a super regional, and the Seminoles pulled it off, defeating South Alabama (42-19) in the first game, 13-5, and 12-2 in the second game. Stephen Drew homered twice and had four RBIs to pace an attack that featured seven home runs for the Seminoles in the second game. South Florida State will play Texas (41-17), the defending national champion. The Longhorns advanced with a 6-3 victory over Lamar at Austin, Texas, after Lamar (40-18) forced a second game with a 6-2 win.

Baylor (44-21) used a 3-2 victory over Southern Mississippi (47-16) at Hattiesburg, Miss. to advance against second-seeded Louisiana State (43-19-1). LSU advanced on a game-winning home run in the bottom of the 11th by Jon Zeringue in a 9-8 victory over North Carolina Wilmington (40-23).

Ohio State advanced with a 9-7 win over fourth-seeded Auburn (42-21) at Auburn, Ala. Ohio State (44-19) will play Southwest Missouri State (38-24) -- a 7-0 second-game winner over Nebraska (47-18).

Eighth-seeded Miami (42-15-1) won a regional for the 10th consecutive year with a 13-10 second-game victory over Florida (37-21-1) at Coral Gables, Fla. Miami will play North Carolina State (45-16) -- a 6-4 winner over Western Carolina, (43-21) at Wilson, N.C. on Colt Morton’s 14th-inning home run.

Fifth-seeded Rice (51-10) advanced with a 5-2 win over Wichita State (48-27) at Houston. Rice will play Houston (36-28) -- a winner by 7-6 twice over Texas A&M; (45-19) at College Station, Texas. Houston’s clinching victory was in 10 innings.

North Carolina (42-21) won a regional at Starkville, Miss. with an 8-6 victory in 11 innings over Mississippi State (42-20). North Carolina will play South Carolina (42-20) -- a 9-3 winner over Stetson (41-24) at Atlanta.