ATHERTON, CA – Menlo Baseball brought the power and resilience in their Saturday doubleheader against Biola University, splitting the first two games of their PacWest series. After a tough 14-10 loss in game one, the Oaks flipped the switch and roared back in game two with a commanding 12-6 victory, fueled by an incredible seven home runs across both games.
Oak Standouts
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Justin Flannery: 4-6, 6 runs, 3 RBI, 3 walks, 3 HR
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Ramone Valenzuela: 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI, 2 HR
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Bradley Morris: 2-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 1 HR
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Carter Harris: 1-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 HR
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Zach Dyer: 2-5, 2 RBI, 1 run, 1 2B
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Samuel Brewer: 2-5, 2 RBI, 1 run
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Matt Morrison: 1-2, 2 runs, 1 RBI
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Richard Kiel: 7.0 IP, 6 K, 1 BB, 6 ER, 8 H, third complete game, second win
Game One: Menlo 10 - 14 Biola
The opener featured a slugfest from both sides, and the Oaks looked primed to take it early. Bradley Morris got Menlo on the board in the third with a solo shot, the first of four Menlo home runs in the game. Later that inning, Samuel Brewer delivered a two-run single, followed by an RBI hit-by-pitch from Jaden Fulsher, giving Menlo a 4-0 lead.
The offense continued to produce with a solo homer from Justin Flannery in the sixth and a bomb from Ramone Valenzuela in the eighth to build what appeared to be a solid lead. But Biola stormed back in the ninth inning, erupting for eight runs including a three-run blast and a clutch two-out homer to flip the game.
Menlo showed fight in the final frame with RBIs from Zach Dyer and Fulsher, but the late rally wasn't enough to overcome Biola's surge, and the Oaks dropped a hard-fought 14-10 decision. The Oaks saw appearances from Nolan Rodriguez, Donovan Kerr, Anthony Tellez, Matthew Verdugo, and Nick Niechty on the mound. Rodriguez started strong and pitched 6.1 innings, contributing 4 strikeouts, 2 walks, 4 earned runs, and only 4 hits.
Game Two: Menlo 12 - 6 Biola
Menlo wasted no time avenging the earlier loss, beginning game two with a solo homer from Justin Flannery, his second of the day, to spark the offense. The third inning saw back-to-back jacks from Carter Harris and Flannery, turning up the pressure on Biola's pitching staff.
Biola briefly took the lead in the fifth with a grand slam but Menlo responded with an eight-run sixth inning that broke the game wide open. The inning featured an RBI single from Brayden Allie, a two-run shot from Valenzuela, and run-scoring hits from Matt Morrison, Zach Dyer, and Fulsher. Menlo totaled 12 runs on 10 hits in the nightcap, and six different Oaks had at least one RBI. Valenzuela finished the day with two homers and four RBIs, while Flannery went deep three times across both games.
Richard Kiel held his own in the mound, pitching his third complete game this season. Across the 7.0 innings pitched, Kiel totaled 5 strikeouts, only 1 walk, and 6 earned runs off of 8 hits. Richard will tally his second win of the season with this well-earned victory.
Up Next....
With the series tied 1-1, Menlo will look to secure the series win in tomorrow's doubleheader finale against Biola University on Saturday, April 12th. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Cartan Field.
