Legends and Pearl Finish Tied after 11 Innings
Cupertino, Calif. – There’s no ties in baseball! There has to be a winner a loser, right? Well, on Wednesday night the Menlo Park Legends and the Neptune Beach Pearl did in fact end in an 8-8 tie after 11 innings of back and forth baseball. The decision to end the game was agreed upon mutually by both sides after three hours of baseball had already been completed and the sun starting to sink below the horizon. Each side had the opportunity to end the baseball game long before the tied final, but both teams will have to settle for the result. Menlo Park is now 10-5-1 on the summer while Neptune Beach is now 10-7-1.
Nick Brooks got the Legends on the board first in the top of the fourth inning with his fourth homerun of the summer, a drive to left-centerfield that scored Sean Watkins. The Pearl would come back and score the next four runs off of Menlo Park starter Calvin Riley, who was chased during a three-run fifth. His first three innings of work were effective, but the final line doesn’t look pretty: 4.1 innings, 7 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Kevin Hahn came on to relief Riley, and got out of the frame but the Legends were down 4-2.
Menlo Park got a run back in the top of the sixth thanks to a gift from the Pearl. With two outs and Justin Jacobs on third, Turner Bishop hit a routine groundball to the second baseman for the Pearl, who let a tough hop eat him up and the ball went under his legs. Jacobs scored and the Legends pulled within one. Unfortunately, it would stay that way until the top of the ninth inning as the Legends would not get another hit until that decisive frame.
Nick Brooks led off with a double to left field, and was pinch ran for by Thomas Caulfield. After two very quick outs, Caulfield remained at second base. The Legends would get another gift when Pearl pitcher Jake Paredes was called for a balk after looking back at Caulfield, and he was awarded third base. RJ Williams was at the plate at the time and he had pinch hit for Chandler Bengston earlier in the game. He took a fastball and chopped it up the third base line and beat the throw to first base for an infield single that tied the game at 4-4.
Oh but the scoring was just beginning at this point. It would stay tied until the top of the 11th, when Patrick McColl led off with a single, and he moved to second on a Tyler Nelin single. Williams came back up to the plate and launched a double to the wall in left field to score both runs and give the Legends a 6-4 lead. Ryan Rosa followed with an RBI double, and Clayton Casey followed with an RBI single. Things had started snowballing for the Pearl as the Legends scored four times in the frame to lead 8-4 going to the bottom half.
Watkins had been on to pitch for Menlo Park, and was asked to shut the door in the bottom of the 11th. After a leadoff single, he recorded a strikeout and a fielder’s choice to get the Legends one out away from winning the game. But the Pearl would not be denied a chance to make this game tight once again. Clayton Andrews singled. Brady Bate singled home a run. Baylor Rowlett singled and a run came in on a Ryan Rosa misplay. Nick Allman singled home a run and advanced to second on an errant throw by Steven McLean. Oh, and the ball had not left the infield but the Pearl made it an 8-7 game with runners at second and third. A wild pitch from Sean Watkins scored the tying run and put the winning run at third. After a walk to Renae Martinez, Martinez attempted to wander off first and get Watkins to throw over which would allow Allman to score from third and win the game. The Legends snuffed it out and got Allman in a rundown before he was tagged out attempting to return to third. Game tied, and game over.
There might be a salty taste in the mouth of the Legends, but on the bright side it does not go as a conference loss. Menlo Park returns home on Thursday for the beginning of a two-game series against the Long Beach Legends. First pitch is at 5:00 PM and if you can’t make it out to Canada College, be sure to catch the game live on the Legends Radio Network.
