Surprise, AZ- Menlo Baseball headed down to Arizona to take on their GSAC rival the Spirit of OUAZ. The Oaks were coming off a four game sweep of Bethesda University that saw the Menlo put together some of their top offensive performances of the season so far. It seems that the bats of the Oaks would remain on fire as they stopped onto Surprise Stadium, the spring training home of the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers. The next two games would be arguably the best baseball of the year against an opponent that was recently ranked among the NAIA's top 25. Every game matters this time of the year with the playoffs right around the corner. If one thing is clear, these Oaks will not go down quietly!

Game One: Menlo 24, OUAZ 9

OUAZ would start the series off striking first, scoring the first run of the day in the first inning after a ground ball would lead to a runner crossing the plate. Yet, from that moment on it was all Menlo. The second inning would open the floodgates. Menlo went on to score eight runs in the second and grab a lead they would never relinquish. In the sixth inning OUAZ would manage to pull within four runs of the Oaks but another salvo of runs would once again push the lead out of reach for the Spirit. It is almost impossible to highlight just one play or player given how the entire team was locked in at the plate. Starting catcher Jake Koeper had himself a day in the batter's box going four for four including five RBIs, a home run and a double. Designated hitter Sage Pera was coming off arguably his hottest stretch of hitting against Bethesda and quite literally kept the ball rolling. Pera crushed two triples and a double leading to six RBIs. The trio of Ryan Anderson, Ethan Baird and Zach Dyer all posted at least two hits while combing for six RBIs themselves. There was no shortage of big time plays from Menlo and the best part was that the boys carried that momentum right into game two of the day's doubleheader!

Game Two: Menlo 7, OUAZ 3

The second game of the day was a markedly lower scoring affair but one that still favored Menlo. Similar to the first contest, the second inning proved to be the spark for head coach Alex Hoover's offense. Menlo would score six runs during the second highlighted by six hits during said inning. While the usual suspects continued to do damage at the plate with Anderson, Koeper and Dyer all chipping in one RBI, Jonathan Charboneau and Justin Flannery would rack up multiple hits. Charboneau would go 2-4 at the plate with two RBIs and a big triple at the start of the sixth inning. Meanwhile, Flannery also had two hits highlighted by a double in the top of the seventh that all but sealed the deal in Menlo's favor. 

On the mound Cody Carson pitched six of seven possible innings only allowing three runs. He went on to strike out three batters while only allowing six hits despite facing 28 batters. Raul Valdivia came out in the ninth to officially end the game and in doing so forced two batters to fly out in the outfield and another to ground out to second base.

Up Next…

Two games down with two more to go! Menlo will get right back onto the field tomorrow to finish up the last two matchups against OUAZ. Menlo is fighting for their playoff lives but over the last six games this team has seemed to turn a corner. They are competing at a level that will make them a nightmare matchup against anyone this time of the year. The spring is here, playoff baseball is right around the corner and there is nothing like it!