Dan Comstock and Chris Freeman each hit a grand slam, which was more than enough for starting pitcher Thomas Cox, who took a no-hitter into the sixth and settled for a two-hitter over six innings as the Menlo College baseball team opened its home season with a 22-5 pasting of visiting Bethesda on Friday.
The Oaks (3-1) host a doubleheader with Bethesda (1-8) on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.
Cox (2-0) did not allow a run, striking out seven without walking a batter. He’s yet to allow an earned run over his first 11 innings of work.
“Thomas is a crafty pitcher who came out and threw a ton of strikes,” Menlo coach Jake McKinley said. “He changed speeds very well and really buckled down and battled when he was deep in counts and needed to.”
Menlo scored six times in the bottom of the first, making things easy for the junior left-hander.
Cox transferred to Menlo this fall from USF, where he was a West Coast Conference all-freshman pick two years ago. The Belmont resident pitched at Serra High, going 12-4 and earning all-league honors in each of his final two years.
Cox appeared in 25 games with the Dons, starting four times, going 1-1 with a save.
Comstock finished 2-for-3 with six RBIs. Freeman’s shot came as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning. Wes Hoskins was 2-for-4, with two runs scored and three RBIs, which included a two-run homer in the first.
Men’s wrestling
Seventh-ranked Menlo took an early lead but could not hold on in a 22-16 nonconference loss to visiting No. 2 Southern Oregon on Friday.
The Raiders won for the 23rd time in 26 meetings with the Oaks (3-4), overcoming a 10-0 deficit to do so.
Menlo’s Troy Lakin, ranked third in the 125-pound division, opened the meet with a major decision. Brian Ha added to the lead with an upset victory over seventh-ranked Devin Poppin at 133 pounds.
Menlo’s 15th-ranked Steele Escobedo made it 10-0 with a 5-3 win at 141 pounds.
Eric Lopez won at 165 pounds to give the Oaks a 13-7 lead, but Southern Oregon clinched the victory with three straight wins, two via pins.
The dual meet ended on a high note for Menlo, as No. 2 heavyweight Scott Brasil outlasted No. 5 Clayton Burtis, 3-1, in overtime.
Menlo hosts Simpson for Senior Night on Friday, festivities beginning at 6:45 p.m.
By Palo Alto Online Sports/Menlo Athletics
By Palo Alto Online Sports/Menlo Athletics
By Palo Alto Online Sports/Menlo Athletics