Mens Baseball
Biola 14, Menlo College 9
Date of competition: Thursday, March 9, 2017
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The weather has begun to warm up all across California, a good thing given the amount of rain the state has received. That rain from earlier in the year caused a three-game conference series against No. 6 Menlo College and Biola to be shortened to just two games, with the third game of the series played on Thursday in La Mirada. It was the first time the Oaks had taken the field since earning their highest ranking in program history, but the play on the field did not reflect that ranking. Two big innings for Biola led to a 14-run outburst, and Menlo tasted defeat in the GSAC for the first time this year with a 14-9 loss to the Eagles. Menlo is now 17-3 (6-1) on the season while Biola is 14-9 (4-5).
The Oaks decided to throw Julian Jarrard on the mound for the series finale, an interesting decision given the nature of this game. Jarrard had made just one start on the season but was able to make it through the first inning without any trouble. The second inning was a different story, and it would be the inning that chased him from the game. The inning got started with a bang for Biola after a leadoff double and a home run to follow made it 2-0 just two batters into the frame. Two singles later, and Jarrard was in major trouble once again. He induced a sacrifice bunt to record the first out, but the proceeded to hit the next batter, loading the bases with just one out. A groundout to first resulted in the second out, but advanced all the runners, making it 3-0. The next Eagles batter singled up the middle to score a pair of runs and blow the game open early at 5-0. After a walk to the following hitter, Jarrard was pulled for Brian Ransom. The right-handed reliever allowed a single to left field to the first batter, but an error from Nick Quejado allowed the second run to come in and score as well, making it a whopping 7-0 lead.
Menlo began to answer in the top of the third with three runs of their own. Quejado atoned for his error and singled up the middle, and with two outs in the inning, Dalton Maxwell doubled down the right field line to score Quejado. Jarrard came up and tried to help out his teammates from the DH spot, reaching on an error by the third baseman and putting another run on the board. Jordan Getzelman followed with a fielder's choice to cap the scoring in the inning, making it 7-3. One more run was provided in the fourth inning thanks to an RBI double from Reed Kienle, knocking in Dean Aliamus and making it 7-4.
The bottom of the sixth inning is when Biola was able to put away the ballgame. Six runs came across in the frame, with the first two runs score off Ransom. Justin Bruce was summoned to try and keep the game close, but he allowed three singles, an error by Getzelman, and one walk to help aid the Eagles run scoring. Menlo suddenly was behind, 13-4, and without nearly enough time left.
Maxwell provided more support in the top of the seventh with a two-run double, and Justin Cooney-Sylk added an RBI double as well as part of a four-run seventh. This made the score 13-7, but again, there just was not enough time. Mack Boone finished the game on the mound for the Oaks and allowed a single run in the bottom of the seventh. Menlo added their ninth and final run of the game in the eighth on an RBI-single from Maxwell, capping off a 3-5 with 4 RBI performance, but it was not enough.
The Oaks continue their SoCal swing this weekend with a three-game series against San Diego Christian College. Game one of the series is Friday at 2 pm with a doubleheader on Saturday at 11 am.
--Menlo Athletics
posted by Menlo Athletics on Mar 10, 2017 at 12:40 am
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