Solid Pitching, Two More HRs, Lead Legends to 7-3 Win
Solano, Calif. – The first road game of the season for the Menlo Park Legends proved to be as successful as the first home game just 24 hours prior. Using another solid effort from the pitching staff and some timely hits, the Legends were able to muscle their way past the Rally Factory Rockhounds by a final of 7-3. With the victory, the Legends begin the 2016 summer with a 2-0 record.
Early starts are usually the best way to bury the opposition, and Menlo Park put the Rockhounds in an early hole that proved insurmountable. Cristopher Castillo and RJ Williams led off the game with walks, and two batters later Sean Watkins drove them both home with a two-run triple. Not to be outdone, Chandler Bengston one-upped Castillo by launching a two-run HR that easily traveled well over 400 feet. It was Bengston’s second two-run blast in as many days as he seems to be locked in to begin the season. The homerun capped off a four-run first inning and the Legends would never look back.
Five different pitchers combined to throw nine solid innings for the Legends. Ryan Lefner got the nod to start game number two of the season. The first inning didn’t get off to the best of starts after Lefner allowed a leadoff single and an RBI-double just two batters later. He would settle down and retire the next five hitters with three strikeouts, finishing his day after two innings. Jake Swiech was next in line, tossing the third frame. Turner Bishop came in for the fourth and stayed in for three innings, a surprise for someone who did not throw a single inning at Old Dominion in 2016. Bishop was sharp through his three innings of work, allowing just a single run. Elijah Saunders and Kevin Hahn combined to pitch the final three innings and shut the door on the Legends second win of the season.
RJ Williams added a solo homerun in the top of the seventh to cap off the scoring for Menlo Park. Williams finished the game 2-4 with two runs scored. Sean Watkins finished just a homerun away from the cycle and scored twice, and Steven McLean added two hits to the team effort. When asked about the first road game of the season, Head Coach David Klein was very pleased. “The bats are off to a very hot start and the guys are finding good rhythm at the plate. Our pitchers have been aggressive with the strike-zone and have delivered a lot of first-pitch strikes. All-in-all, it’s been a great start to the season.”
After the first off-day of the season on Monday, the Legends return to action on Tuesday for their first CCL game of the summer against the Walnut Creek Crawdads. First pitch will be at 2:00 PM for the road game and a live broadcast will be provided for fans at www.menloparklegends.com/legends-radio.
