HILO, HI -- In the final series of their inaugural NCAA DII PacWest campaign, Menlo Baseball showed no shortage of offensive production but fell short in both ends of a doubleheader against Hawai'i Hilo on the Vulcans' Senior Day. Despite explosive efforts at the plate, the Oaks were unable to hold back UHH's timely scoring, dropping game one 11-13 and game two by a 8-9 walk-off double.
Oak Standouts
- Justin Flannery: 5-7, 3 runs, 2 RBI, a double, a stolen base, 2 HBP, a walk
- Zach Dyer: 4-9, 5 RBI, 3 runs, a sac fly, a double
- Braydon Allie: 4-9, 4 RBI, 2 runs, a double, a walk
- Lakin Anderson: 1-3, 3 RBI, a walk, a double, a HBP
- Jaden Fulsher: 2-6, 4 runs, 3 walks
- Trey Silva: 4.0 IP, 2 K, 0 BB, 3 H, 1 ER (G1)
- Anthony Tellez: 3.0 IP, 3 K, 0 BB, 8 H, 4 R (G2)
Game One: Hawai'i Hilo 13, Menlo 11
Menlo Baseball brought the bats out in full force for Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against Hawai'i Hilo, exploding for 11 runs on 14 hits. In the first inning alone, the Oaks earned 6 runs. Justin Flannery started the day off with s single to left field and landed on second from a fielding error by the left fielder. Braydon Allie traded places with him with an RBI double down the left line to score Flannery. Allie then scored off of a wild pitch. Bradley Morris also got into the mix with a singled to left field to score Zach Dyer to make it 3-0. Lakin Anderson doubled the lead after he hit a stinger down the left field line to score Ramone Valenzuela, Jaden Fulsher, and Morris. But it wasn't enough to overcome the Vulcans just-as-hot bats.
Menlo tacked on two more in the second after Justin Flannery led off the inning with another double down the left field line. Zach Dyer would later score him with a single to third base. One more run would follow thanks to a Matt Morrison single to right field. The Oaks held an 8-3 lead heading into the bottom half, but Hilo answered with six runs of their own in the second to take the lead. Menlo tied it up in the fifth and retook the lead briefly at 11-10, but the Vulcans surged ahead once more and held off a late Menlo push.
Landon Rowland started in game one on the mound and went 1.2 innings and tallied two strikeouts before Wesley Payne would come in. Payne went 2.1 innings also earned a strikeout. But it would be Trey Silva who turned in a solid relief outing, tossing four innings with two strikeouts and allowing just one earned run.
Game 2: Hawai'i Hilo 9, Menlo 8
In the final game of the 2025 season, Menlo Baseball delivered a thrilling offensive performance but ultimately fell just short, losing 8-9 to Hawai'i Hilo on a walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the seventh. After falling behind 1-0 early, the Oaks erupted for five runs in the top of the third. Jaden Fulsher sparked the rally with a leadoff walk and stolen base, followed by Carter Harris reaching on a hit-by-pitch. Justin Flannery singled to left to bring in Fulsher and tie the game. Braydon Allie then reached on a fielding error by the second baseman, scoring Harris to give Menlo the lead. Zach Dyer followed with a clutch double down the left field line to plate both Allie and Fulsher. Matt Morrison capped off the inning with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Dyer and making it 5-1.
The Vulcans chipped away in the bottom of the third, cutting the deficit to 5-4, but Menlo responded quickly in the fourth with another big inning. Ramone Valenzuela singled to right to start the frame, and after another walk to Fulsher and a single up the middle by Harris, the Oaks had the bases loaded. Flannery drove in Valenzuela with a grounder to short, followed by an RBI single to right by Allie. Dyer came through again with a single down the right field line to bring in Harris, extending the lead to 8-4. Hawai'i Hilo refused to go quietly, scoring a run in the bottom of the fourth and three more in the fifth to tie the game at 8-8. The contest remained knotted until the bottom of the seventh, when the Vulcans delivered a walk-off RBI double to end Menlo's season in heartbreaking fashion.
On the mound, Anthony Tellez started Game two and went 3.0 innings with 3 strikeouts, 8 hits, 0 walks, and 4 earned runs. Chase Barsotti came in for 2.0 innings and earned 2 strikeouts, 0 walks, 3 hits, and 4 runs, only 1 being earned. Sam Grannes closed out the final 1.1 innings with a strikeouts, no walks, and only one hit, and an earned run.
The Oaks conclude their inaugural season in the PacWest with their heads held high after a gritty offensive performance on the road. The team now turns its focus to the offseason with plenty of momentum and a strong foundation to build upon in the 2025-26 season.
