STANFORD, Calif. \u2013 The Cardinal hit a trio of home runs off Fresno State starter Tyler Patrick, but all three were solo shots leading off an inning, and the bats managed just one more run in a 15-4 setback to Fresno State on Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n
The victory moved Fresno State to 5-4 on the season, and evened the three-game series, while Stanford dropped to 5-5.<\/p>\n
Rintaro Sasaki<\/a>, Charlie Bates<\/a> and Teddy Tokheim<\/a> all connected for homers, with Sasaki\u2019s serving as his second of the year.<\/p>\n Tokheim, earning the start in left field and batting second, finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Brady Reynolds<\/a> also collected multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a double while serving as the Cardinal designated hitter.<\/p>\n Stanford jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on a sac fly from Jimmy Nati<\/a> that came one player after a double off the wall from JJ Moran<\/a>.<\/p>\n After Fresno State drew even at a run apiece in the top of the third, Bates connected for his first homer of the season, and second of his career, leading off the bottom of the third.<\/p>\n A four-run fourth inning handed the Bulldogs a 5-2 lead that it would not relinquish the rest of the way. The Cardinal committed the first of three errors on the game in the inning, and Austin Young delivered a two-RBI double to contribute the big blow.<\/p>\n Sasaki homered in the fourth inning and Tokheim connected in the fifth to run the tally to 6-4 and keep the Cardinal within striking distance after five innings, but Fresno State tacked on two in the sixth, one in the eighth and six in the ninth to blow the game open. Marcus Nolen capped the six-run ninth with a towering three-run home run to left field for his second round-tripper of the year.<\/p>\n Weathering the storm of 10 Cardinal hits, Patrick was credited with the victory and moved to 1-1 on the season while working the first five innings. Parker Heintz was the only reliever needed by Fresno State on Saturday, tossing the final four scoreless innings and allowing just one walk to earn his first save of the year.<\/p>\n