Little’s 3-inning save helps Stanford beat Fresno St. 8-6

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Closer Jack Little recorded the final nine outs to save Stanford’s 8-6 victory over Fresno State at the Stanford Regional on Sunday night and extend the Cardinal’s season for at least another day.

Duke Kinamon drove in two runs and Tim Tawa had three hits for Stanford (44-12), which forced another game Monday night. The winner will take on Mississippi State in a best-of-3 super regional in Starkville, Mississippi.

Stanford starter Erik Miller (8-2) gave up six runs, four earned, on six hits. He walked three and struck out a career-high 12 in 5 2/3 innings. Zach Grech got the final out of the sixth and gave up a single to open the seventh before Little came on to earn his 11th save.

Fresno State starter Nikoh Michell lasted three innings, allowing four runs — three earned — on four hits. He walked seven and struck out one.

Zach Presno’s three-run homer for the Bulldogs tied the game at 4-all in the fourth after McCarthy Tatum led off the inning with a solo shot.

Stanford regained the lead in the bottom of the inning on Kinamon’s single that scored Brandon Wulff. Kinamon, trying to stretch it to a double, was thrown out to end the inning.

The Cardinal extended their lead to 8-4 in the fifth against Jamison Hill (2-2), who had words with the home plate umpire after the inning and needed to be escorted away by teammates.

With two outs and no one on in the sixth, the Bulldogs rallied to score a pair of unearned runs to pull within 8-6, ending Miller’s night.

Fresno State (40-15-1) then put its first two batters on in the seventh but Little got out of the jam. He struck out a Nolan Dempsey and catcher Maverick Handley threw out Tatum trying to steal second before Emilio Nogales flied out to left.

Carter Bins led off the ninth with single but Little got a strikeout, an infield pop-up and an infield groundout.

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