WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Half of Stanford’s six hits on Friday night went for home runs, and five of the six went for extra bases, but the Cardinal dropped a 7-4 decision to No. 15 Wake Forest in the first game of a three-game ACC series.
Sophomore Rintaro Sasaki launched the fourth pitch of the game over the wall in left field for his fourth home run of the season, and Henry McDonald and Eric Jeon connected for back-to-back home runs in the top of the ninth as Stanford made things interesting before taking the loss.
McDonald’s home run came in his first Stanford at bat while pinch hitting for Charlie Bates, while Jeon’s home run was his first Stanford hit.
Following Sasaki’s home run in the top of the first off Wake Forest starter Blake Morningstar, the Demon Deacons answered for one in the bottom of the first and three more in the bottom of the fourth to claim a 4-1 lead after four. A bases-loaded single from Blake Schaaf plated the go-ahead in the fourth before an errant double-play turn trying to end the inning resulted in two runs one play later.
Wake Forest would add two more runs in the fifth and one in the eighth to carry a 7-1 lead into the ninth, but Stanford showed fight while down to its final three outs. Freshman Teddy Tokheim got the inning started with a line-drive double down the right-field line before McDonald and Jeon went back-to-back off Wake Forest reliever Rhys Bowie.
Now leading 7-4, Wake Forest elected to summon Will Ray from the bullpen to thwart the Cardinal rally. The right-hander retired the next three hitters, including two by way of a strikeout, to shut the door and convert his first save of the season.
Morningstar was credited with the victory and moved to 2-1after working the first six innings and striking out a career-best 11 batters. Stanford starter Nick Dugan was saddled with the loss and fell to 0-2 after allowing six runs (five earned) on 10 hits and a walk while striking out five batters over five innings.
Kassius Thomas impressed out of the Cardinal bullpen, limiting the Wake Forest offense to just one run over 2 2/3 innings, before Dominic Panella recorded the final defensive out via the strikeout while making his collegiate debut.
In addition to Stanford’s homers from Sasaki, McDonald and Jeon, and Tokheim’s double leading off the ninth, Jimmy Nati also doubled for the fifth and final extra-base hit. Senior Cort MacDonald was the only other Cardinal to register a hit – lining a single back up the box in the eighth inning.
Stanford and Wake Forest will conclude the three-game series on Saturday with a doubleheader set to begin at 11:02 a.m. PT.
GAME NOTES:
- Stanford has dropped four consecutive games for the first time since dropping 10 straight from May 3-18, 2024
- Charlie Bates had a five-game hitting streak snapped on Friday
- Eric Jeon is the first Cardinal to homer for his first Stanford hit since Brandon Larson vs. Penn State (2/24/24) … teamed with Henry McDonald to become the first Cardinal players to hit back-to-back homers since Braden Montgomery & Alberto Rios in the top of the ninth vs. California (5/24/23)
- Luke Lavin had a four-game hitting streak, and a 17-game reached base streak dating back to the 2025 season, snapped on Friday
- Henry McDonald is the first Cardinal to homer in his first Stanford at bat since Malcolm Moore at Cal State Fullerton (2/17/23) … connected for the first pinch-hit homer by a Cardinal since Gabe Springer’s two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth vs. USC (3/17/24)
- JJ Moran had hit safely in each of the first 12 games this season, but had the string snapped on Friday
- Rintaro Sasaki (1-for-3, HR, R, RBI, BB) has homered in back-to-back games, and three of the last four … is the first Cardinal to connect for a home run leading off a game since Trevor Haskins vs. Washington (2/21/25), and the first to do so on the road since Brock Jones at Utah (5/15/22)
- Teddy Tokheim (1-for-4, 2B, R) has hit safely in six straight games