Menlo’s varsity baseball team beat the Saratoga Falcons 7-6 at home on Thursday in a nail-biting walk-off win.
Senior Ryan Schnell started on the bump for Menlo and threw five scoreless innings, but in the sixth inning, Saratoga broke through, scoring five runs against the Knights. Menlo responded with one run in the bottom of the sixth when sophomore Jack Freehill scored on a single by senior Garrett Tran. In the bottom of the seventh, down 5-1, Menlo had to score to keep the game alive. The Knights came through, tying the game and forcing extra innings with four runs, fueled by an error, several walks, a single by senior Mikey McGrath and a double by junior Luke Rogers.
After throwing a scoreless seventh inning, sophomore Jackson Flanagan, who took the win for the Knights, allowed one run in the top of the eighth inning. Two singles in the bottom of the eighth by sophomores Chuck Wynn and Renner Barnett drove in Menlo’s sixth and seventh runs, ending the game in a walk-off win.
Junior Benjamin Salama also had a hit, bringing Menlo’s total to six. Additionally, the Knights piled up five stolen bases.
Rogers continued his hot streak — he has had a hit in nine of Menlo’s 10 games and leads the team this season with his .567 batting average and .667 slugging percentage.
The Knights, whose record is 8-2, face off against Burlingame on Saturday and play their first league game against Mills on Tuesday, March 19.
