Saunders and Bergandi Shutout the Merchants, Legends Sweep Series
Redwood City, Calif. – It was a happy return home for the Menlo Park Legends in their first home game since Opening Day. Finishing up a three-game series against he Alameda Merchants, the Legends used some LEGENDary pitching to shutdown the bats of the Merchants. Alameda did not record a hit until the sixth inning and had only four all game as Elijah Saunders and Matt Bergandi combined for the first shutout of the season. A big four-run fourth inning also gave the all the cushion they would need en route to the 5-0 victory. The Legends improve to 5-1 on the season while the Merchants fall to 4-5.
Elijah Saunders was dominant from the start for the Menlo Park Legends, pitching at his home field of Canada College. He wasted no time asserting himself as a force on the mound, not allowing a hit over his four frames. He punched out two in the fourth and recorded four strikeouts during his stint. He never allowed a runner past first base, and only faced one batter over the minimum. Command of all three of his pitches was key, and it was clear he was sharp right out of the gate.
The offense broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning and it began with Ryan Rosa leading off with a single to center. He was followed by Sean Watkins who also singled to center, and then both Rosa and Watkins executed a double steal to advance to second and third. One pitch later, both men moved up on a wild pitch, which scored Rosa and gave the Legends a 1-0 lead. Tyler Nelin would be next to provide some damage, through an unconventional route. He hit a routine grounder to the Alameda shortstop, who bobbled the ball and everyone would up being safe and the Legends doubled their lead. After the first two outs of the inning, Ryan McCarthy delivered his first hit with the club, and what a perfect time to do so. He singled home Chandler Bengston and Nelin and the Legends blew the game open in the fourth. Nelin also helped get a run in the fifth when he singled home Sean Watkins for the fifth run of the game.
Matt Bergandi took over in the top of the fifth inning and it was smooth sailing the rest of the way for him. After having struggled through his first two appearances, it was promising to see him dominating with his fastball which hit 88 miles per hour. He located it well on both sides of the plate, and walked just one batter over his five innings, while striking out four. The only real trouble he faced was in the eighth inning when he loaded the bases after a two-out single. He was able to induce a groundball to end the inning and keep the lead at five.
After the sweep of the Merchants, the Legends set their sights on a rematch against the Walnut Creek Crawdads. The game will begin at 1:00 PM and will be played at Canada College as the Legends wrap up a short two-game stint at home. Come on out to the field or catch the game live on the Legends Radio Network.
