ATHERTON, CA – Menlo Baseball hosted the Vanguard Lions for a doubleheader as part of the first GSAC series of the 2024 season on Friday. After rallies from both teams, each game fell in favor of the Lions, 2-10 and 12-18. The Oaks totaled 20 hits and 14 runs scored across the 18 innings but it was not enough to outperform Vanguard's offense. The Oaks are hoping for another opportunity to face the Lions on Saturday as long as weather conditions are fair.
Game 1: Menlo 2 - 8 Vanguard
Cody Carson started on the mound for the Oaks on Friday morning and went 6 innings pitched. The junior transfer was able to strike out 6 Lions at the plate and only walk 3. Menlo would give up a 10-0 lead in the first 8 innings. 3 of the 8 Oak hits of the game came in the bottom of the 9th as part of Menlo's last ditch efforts to get some runs to cross home plate. Jake Koeper reached first on an error by the 3rd baseman to lead off the final inning. Two outs would follow, putting the Oaks in a difficult hole. Sage Pera was the one to start a 2-out rally by singled up the middle to bring home Warkentine who was pinch running for Koeper. Justin Flannery followed with a double down the right field line to bring in Carter Harris to make it 2-10. Unfortunately the Oaks were stopped short and the game ended in the Oaks loss.
Game 2: Menlo 12 - 18 Vanguard
Vanguard picked up right where they left off in the first game and took an early 0-2 lead in the top of the 1st. Menlo responded quickly with a 2-run inning off of a Flannery sacrifice fly and a Jonathan Charboneau fielder's choice to even out the score at 2-2. The 2nd inning brought in another pair of runs after DJ Scott got the ball in play which forced an error to score Warkentine as well as Pera singling through the right side to score Scott. The Oaks were unable to hold the 5-2 lead as the Lions went on a tear and ran the score up to 5-14 before Menlo was able to score again.
It was the bottom of the 5th when Christian Luevano, starting catcher, singled to left center with a huge 2-RBI hit to bring in Jaden Fulsher and Charboneau. That left Zach Dyer and Luevano on base with DJ Scott up to bat. Scott did his job and sacrifice flew out to center field to bring home Dyer and make the score 8-14. The final Oaks rally came in the bottom of the 8th. Three back-to-back singles from Pera, Flannery, and Charboneau left bases loaded with Dyer getting ready to hit. It was his bases-clearing double to right center field that batted all three in which creeped the Oaks closer in the score, 11-17. One final RBI from Dominic Anderson-Nakagawa to score Dyer would be the last hope for the Oaks offense before the Lions would close out the game, 12-18.
Up Next…..
Oaks Baseball is lined up to play another game on Saturday, February 17 at 11am against the Vanguard Lions on Menlo's very own Cartan Field so long as the weather conditions permit for a fair game!
