On Saturday, No.2 Stanford fell to Arkansas by a whopping score of 17-2 in their first game of the College World Series. Connor Noland (8-5) was the winning pitcher for Arkansas in a starting role while Alex Williams (8-4) was the losing pitcher for Stanford in a starting role.
In the top of the 1st inning, Arkansas got off to a great start as Braydon Webb hit a lead-off triple. In the next at-bat, Brady Slavens popped up to left field to bring home Webb. Arkansas almost scored another run as the bases got loaded with two outs thanks to a walk and a hit by pitch, but Jalen Battles struck out looking to end the top of the inning.
In the bottom of the 1st inning, Brock Jones hit a lead-off home run to left field to even up the game for Stanford. After Carter Graham popped up to center field for the first out, Brett Barrera singled to short stop after which Braden Montgomery singled to center field. In the next at-bat, Kody Huff grounded into a double play to end the inning.
The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings would be scoreless on both sides. After giving up an early run, there was some concern of Alex Williams having another rough outing, but to his credit, he settled in and did a nice job of not allowing the Arkansas hitters to get rolling.
In the top of the 5th inning, that’s when things started to unravel for the Cardinal. Slavens hit a single to right center to get things going after which Cayden Wallace singled to right field to advance Slavens to second base. Michael Turner would then strike out swinging for the first out of the inning. Up next at the plate would be Chris Lanzilli, who proceeded to hit a three-run home run to left center, making it a 4-1 Arkansas lead. Robert Moore then hit a single to right field, ending Williams’ day on the mound as Ryan Bruno came in to replace him.
Bruno didn’t fare a whole lot better as he walked Battles, the first batter he faced. This put Moore on second base. Peyton Stovall then reached on a fielder’s choice to second base as Battles was out at second base while Moore advanced to third base. Bruno then threw a wild pitch, bringing Moore home and advancing Stovall to second base. Zack Gregory then singled to center field to bring home Stovall. During Webb’s at-bat, Gregory then stole second base, but Webb struck out swinging to end the top of the 5th. It was now a 6-1 Arkansas lead.
Stanford did not score in the bottom of the 5th and the 6th inning was scoreless for both teams. In the top of the 7th, Arkansas went back to work. Moore doubled down the right field line to get things going as Max Meier was now in the game for Stanford, having also pitched the 6th inning. Battles then hit a single up the middle to bring Moore home. Stovall and Gregory then both popped up for two quick outs. Webb was then walked, advancing Battles to second base. This ended Meier’s day as Tommy O’Rourke came in to pitch.
O’Rourke started his day with a wild pitch, advancing Webb to second base and Battles to third base. Slavens then singled up the middle to advance Webb to third base and bring home Battles. Wallace then hit a double to advance Slavens to third base and bring home Webb. Turner lined out to first base to end the top of the inning. It was now a 9-1 Arkansas lead. Stanford would not score in the bottom of the 7th at all, keeping it at a 9-1 game going into the 8th inning.
In the top of the 8th inning, Nathan Fleischli came in to pitch for Stanford and gave up two runs. Stovall hit a single up the middle to bring home Battles and Moore. It would be an 11-1 Arkansas lead in the middle of the 8th. In the bottom of the 8th inning, Stanford would add a run as Graham hit a double that drove in Eddie Park. It would be an 11-2 lead for Arkansas going into the 9th inning.
In the top of the 9th inning, rather than easing on the gas, Arkansas added six more runs, making it a 17-2 game. In the bottom of the 9th, Stanford did not score any runs, making it a 17-2 final score. Stanford has made comebacks all season long, but this one felt different. There did not appear to be a comeback in the works for Stanford as this one was Arkansas all the way.
For Stanford, this is obviously a really disappointing loss. For the third straight time, Alex Williams has not had the right stuff, putting Stanford in a hole once again. Stanford cannot lose another game unless they somehow advance to the championship round, which would reset in a best of three setting. The big question mark coming into this game was whether or not Williams would deliver the goods and he did not.
However, this loss cannot all be pinned on Williams. Stanford’s offense was inert and the subsequent pitchers who came in after him combined for 12 earned runs. Stanford collectively did not bring their A-game and that’s what makes this so disappointing.
“Yeah, my message is we wouldn’t even be here without him, right?” Stanford head coach David Esquer said after Williams’ loss to UConn. “So, I got no finger, no blame, no disappointment, I know he wishes he was performing better. But the reality is we wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t Alex Williams the pitcher of the year in the conference and I think all his teammates would feel the same way that if he’s going to lose, that’s our guy, right? I mean, they beat our guy and so we gotta take the good with the bad because we love the nine [eight] wins he had during the season that got us here.”
At the same time, Stanford can take some comfort in knowing they’ve been in this position before. They know what it’s like to drop a game early in a tournament and still find a way to come back. After last week’s opening loss to UConn, Esquer had a message of optimism and positivity. That same attitude will need to carry the team through this tournament if they are going to find a way to come out on top.
“This isn’t the time to panic and kinda beat the kids up over maybe not playing well or bringing their best game out,” Esquer said. “Sometimes it takes a little while to kinda in this atmosphere kinda find your game and you hope that you eventually do and that was kinda my, not plead with them, but instruction to them was hey, let’s forget the score and let’s just find our comfort zone in the game and we’ll take whatever the result happens because sometimes it takes a while to, sometimes guys put different pressures or they think the game’s a little bit different when it’s not and we’ll have to come out tomorrow and play better right from the start.”
At this point, that’s all that Stanford can do. Come out tomorrow and play better right from the start. Actually, in this particular case, it’s to come out the day after tomorrow and play better right from the start. Stanford will get Sunday off before taking on Auburn in a do or die game on Monday. That game will begin at 11:00 AM PT on ESPN and presumably KZSU radio.
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