ATHERTON, CA – Menlo College softball kicked off its three-game series against Chaminade with a hard-fought victory, securing a 5-4 win over the Silverswords. The Oaks showcased strong pitching and timely hitting, with Destanee Perez delivering five solid innings before Rosaline Torralva closed the door with her first collegiate save in two innings of relief.
Key Performances from the Game
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Destanee Perez: 5.0 IP, keeping Chaminade's offense in check.
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Rosaline Torralva: 2.0 IP of relief, earned her first collegiate save
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Grace Christian: Went 2-for-4, 3 RBI's, 1 run scored, a double, go-ahead single in 5th
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Gabrielle Rodriguez: Went 1-for-3, RBI single in 5th, a double
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Emma Medina: Went 1-for-3, a double, a walk, 1 run scored
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Aliya Lubrin: Went 1-for-1, insurance RBI single in 5th, 1 run scored, a stolen base
Menlo 5 - 4 Chaminade
Both teams battled through a scoreless first few innings before Menlo broke through in the third. The Oaks took a 1-0 lead when Lucy Brooks began the inning with a walk. Jolena Velasquez then singled to right field to advance Brooks. After back-to-back fielder's choice plays, Oaks had runners on third and first base with Grace Christian coming to the plate with two outs. Christian singled to second base to advance all runners and score Velasquez from third. Chaminade responded in the fourth, tying the game on an RBI triple. The game remained close until the fifth, when Chaminade homered giving the Silverswords a 1-2 lead.
Menlo's offense came alive in the bottom of the fifth. Grace Christian delivered a clutch two-run single up the middle to score Medina and Velasquez to put the Oaks back in front. Gabrielle Rodriguez followed with an RBI double down the left field line, extending the lead to 4-2. Chaminade fought back with a run in the sixth, but Rosaline Torralva entered in relief and held strong, limiting the damage.
The seventh inning saw Chaminade threaten once again, cutting the deficit to one on an RBI triple. However, Torralva induced a game-ending groundout, sealing Menlo's first win of the series!
Looking Ahead
With momentum on their side, the Oaks will look to build on their strong performance as they continue their three-game series against Chaminade tomorrow, Saturday, March 22nd with a doubleheader starting at 12pm.
