Legends Win in Extra Innings
Things looked bleak for Legends when they trailed the Walnut Creek Crawdads in the ninth inning at Laney JC, but managed to tie the game on a Jeff Keller fielder’s choice grounder, sending it to extra innings. The Legends received three walks in the 12th before Joe Goldenberg’s RBI ground out to pull out a 5-4 win in 12 innings over the Crawdads in one of the longest games in Legends history. All three games between the Legends and Crawdads have been decided by one run, with the Legends taking the series 2 games to 1.
The top of the first saw Legends take an early lead, 1-0. The Legends’ offense woke up as Pierson Jeremiah doubled before Keller doubled, scoring Jeremiah. The Crawdads answered immediately as it scored one run of its own in the first – an RBI double by Christiaan Durdaller.
Legends got one-run boosts in each of the second on a solo home run by Goldenberg, and in the sixth on a Peter Woodall sacrifice fly. The Crawdads rallied for three in the bottom of the sixth off reliever Ryan Reese – a walk to Colick, a single by Chad Highberger and a three run homer from Austin Allison.
Relievers DJ Sharabi and Jacob Eichhorn shut out the Crawdads over the final five innings until the Legends would tie the game and then take the lead. Starting pitcher Michael Olmstead had five solid innings, allowing only a single run.
The Legends head to southern California this weekend to battle the San Luis Obispo Blues and the North County Indians.
-Michael Simon, For the Menlo Park Legends
