SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Stanford carried a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth, and led 6-5 in the eighth, but allowed five runs in the bottom of the eighth to eventually drop a 10-7 decision and the series to Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon.
The loss moved Stanford to 22-21 on the year, including 10-13 in the ACC, while Notre Dame improved to 23-20, including 10-16 in the conference.
Sophomores Rintaro Sasaki and Charlie Bates each finished with three hits as Stanford posted 13 hits while leaving 10 runners aboard. Bates and JJ Moran each managed doubles in the loss, with Moran and Sasaki driving in a pair of runs.
After a scoreless top of the first, the Irish managed to scratch the game’s first run across in the bottom of the inning. The Cardinal did well to respond, stringing together five hits, including a two-RBI single from Sasaki when a ball was lost in the sun, to score three runs and take a 3-1 lead after two.
A Moran sacrifice fly made it 4-1 in the third before Cort MacDonald showed bunt and pulled back to slap an RBI-single into center field that was bobbled and allowed Philip Cheong to score from second base with Stanford’s fifth run.
A pair of RBI-singles from Jayce Lee and Andrew Graham cut the Cardinal lead to 5-3 in the fourth, and that score held into the seventh as the two teams traded zeros in the fifth and sixth innings.
The Cardinal managed to get back in the runs column in the seventh as Eric Jeon raced around the bags and scored all the way from first on a double off the bat of Bates. The Stanford shortstop lofted a fly ball down the line in left field that kicked off the glove of a diving Jamie Zee at shortstop, rolling away just far enough for Jeon to turn third and slide in ahead of the throw to the plate.
Sam Garewal, who contributed the scoreless fifth and sixth innings out of the Cardinal bullpen, ran into trouble in the bottom of the seventh when he walked the first two batters of the inning. Leading 6-3, Stanford elected to call to the bullpen and summoned right-hander Trevor Moore. Moore fielded his position on a sacrifice bunt and struck out Drew Berkland for the second out, but a walk to Bino Watters kept the inning alive for Mark Quatrani. The Irish catcher delivered in the clutch, lining a two-RBI single into center field to make it a one-run game at 6-5 after seven.
Desperately trying to hold off the Fighting Irish, Stanford saw the game get out of hand in the eighth as Notre Dame plated five runs on four hits and one Cardinal error to take the late 10-6 lead. A throwing error on a steal attempt with runners at the corners tied the game before a Zee triple put the Irish on top. Brandon Logan followed with an RBI-single and Quatrani capped his four-RBI, 4-for-5 day with a two-out, two-RBI double to blow the game open and put Moore on the hook for his second loss of the season.
Stanford would not roll over in the ninth, putting the first two aboard and forcing Notre Dame back into its bullpen, but left-hander Noah Rooney entered and retired all three batters he faced, including a sac fly from Moran to drive in Stanford’s seventh run of the game, to seal the victory and convert his fourth save of the year - including his second in the series against Stanford.
The Cardinal will look to salvage the series on Sunday when the two teams meet for the finale at 10 a.m. PT. Former Cardinal Ty Uber will get the ball for Notre Dame as Stanford will counter with Nick Dugan.