Legends Take Two Against Neptune Beach
Oakland, Calif. – It is very rare that a game beginning on June 22 would finish on July 6, but that was the case as the Menlo Park Legends took on the Neptune Beach Pearl in a quazi-doubleheader. The first game would be a continuation of a game that was suspended on June 22 after 11 innings, and then the regularly scheduled game would follow the ending of the first. Both games would be fortuitous for Menlo Park as they wound up winning a pair of closely contested games against their North division foes. The continuation game went to the Legends 9-8 after 13 innings, and then the Legends finished off the Pearl 6-5 in a regular amount of innings. With both wins, the Legends are now 17-11 and 6-8 in CCL play while the Pearl are 19-11 and 10-7 in CCL games.
Tyler Ivey was on the mound in relief in the continuation game, and his strong two innings of work helped him earn the victory. The win would not have been possible if it weren’t for the quick rally started in the top of the 13th by Turner Bishop. He led off the frame with a double against Pearl pitcher Evan Kravetz. Tyler Nelin would follow with a bunt that he beat out, but the throw from Kravetz went up the right field line and scored Bishop. That one run would be all the Legends would need as Ivey would strand the tying run in the bottom of the 13th at second base and give the Legends win number one.
Win number two came in exciting fashion as the Legends jumped out to a lead as early as you can get one. Steven McLean led off the game with a homerun to left field that hit halfway up the mesh netting above the left field wall. The Legends added one more in the first inning after Tyler Nelin walked and scored after advancing on two wild pitches from Kravetz. One interesting note, Kravetz was given the start in game two because he was already warm and did not throw many pitches in the first game. He did not fare well in the second game, however, as he was tagged for another homerun by Clayton Casey, this time in the second inning. Casey had himself a monster second game, falling a double shy of the cycle. 3-4, 1B, 3B, HR, 2 runs, 2 RBI. His triple scored the fourth run in the fourth, and he scored in the sixth, part of a two running inning for Menlo Park. Casey scored on a wild pitch and Chandler Bengston scored on a double-play groundout.
This set things up nicely for Jake Swiech, who was the starting pitcher for Menlo Park in game number two. He went five innings, allowed six hits, one run in the second, two walks, and two strikeouts. When he exited the game, the Legends found themselves leading 6-1 and they appeared to be on cruise control. But as we have seen in every game against the Pearl this summer, they love to make thing dramatic. Ryan Lefner was the first reliever out of the ‘pen and pitched a scoreless sixth but allowed two runs to score in the seventh, one on a throwing error from Nelin and one on an RBI single from Walker Pennington. With the score 6-3, Calvin Riley pitched a 1-2-3 eighth before the game became tense in the ninth. He allowed a walk, double, and an RBI single to lead off the inning, and the game was made 6-4. After inducing a pop out, Pennington singled home another run and put runners at the corners with one out and a 6-5 game. Pennington then stole second, so the Pearl had the tying and game-winning runs in scoring position. Riley struck out Lucas Halstead before walking Nick Allman to load the bases for Renae Martinez. On a 1-2 pitch, Martinez popped out to Ryan Rosa at shortstop to end the game and give the Legends a very big second win.
After the two huge conference victories for the Legends, they return home to face another CCL opponent in the Walnut Creek Crawdads. The game will be at Canada College on Thursday, and first pitch is slated for 5:00 PM. If you can’t make it out to the yard, be sure to catch the game on the Legends Radio Network.
