ATHERTON, CA

Chilly weather did nothing to prevent throngs of Menlo fans from making their way to Cartan Field today for the opening doubleheader of the Oaks' 2023 season. An offense-oriented first game, which Menlo won 7-2, was followed by a pitchers' duel in the second game, which went the way of the Oaks, 1-0.

Game 1: Menlo 7 - 2 Simpson

The Menlo bats were somewhat quiet through the first pair of rotations through the starting lineup, but they came alive as the game progressed. After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the 3rd, the Oaks had the bases loaded in the bottom half of the inning, but were unable to bring any runs across the plate. 

In the bottom of the 4th, however, with the bases loaded again, Menlo made the most of the opportunity in whatever way they could. Two batters in a row, Blake Dompier and Sean Pettener, were hit by pitches, each of which forced a runner home from 3rd. Then, second baseman Anthony Masetti delivered an RBI single that brought the inning's total to 3 runs for Menlo.

In the bottom of the 7th, another Oak run scored on a wild pitch, but Simpson responded with a run of their own in the top of the 8th. In the bottom half of the 8th, however, Menlo put the game out of reach for the Red Hawks. With the bases loaded yet again, catcher Matt Leong stepped up and delivered a 2-RBI double. Soon after, with runners at the corners for Menlo, Erik Quinzon hit an RBI single to establish what turned out to be the final score, 7-2. 

In total, 3 Menlo pitchers were active for 3.0 innings each. Starter Brock Moore grew into the game, setting the table for the eventual game-winner, German import Joshua Spezia. His 3 innings of relief were masterful; he allowed no hits, no walks, and no runs while striking out 4 of the 10 batters he faced. Australian Richard Kiel entered in the 7th inning, and he pitched the rest of the game en route to earning the save.

Game 2: Menlo 1 - 0 Simpson

The second game of the day was a comparatively muted affair, defined more by the pitchers than either offense. Menlo's starter, Logan Snow, was masterful. He pitched 6.0 of the game's 7 innings, striking out 11 of the 18 batters he faced and allowing just 2 hits and 2 walks. Last year's freshman phenom, Chase Barsotti, entered in the 7th inning and closed out the game in just 9 pitches for his first save of the year.

The only run of the game came in the bottom of the 6th, when Anthony Masetti drove a sacrifice fly to right field. Zach Dyer tagged up and timed his sprint home to perfection, doing well to beat the throw from the outfield. 

Up Next

It's back to work for Menlo tomorrow, as the Oaks take on the Red Hawks for a standalone game. First pitch at Cartan Field is scheduled for 11:00 AM.