Menlo’s varsity baseball team fell to the Burlingame High School Panthers 5-4 at home in their final pre-league game on Saturday.
Sophomore Jack Freehill led off the bottom of the first inning with a double to right field, sparking a two run rally for the Knights. Junior Ben Salama, who started on the mound for the Knights, threw one scoreless inning but let in three runs in the top of the second. Senior Garrett Tran grounded out to third in the bottom of the second, scoring sophomore Chuck Wynn and tying the game at three.
After throwing three and a third innings and giving up four runs, including one in the fourth, Salama was relieved by sophomore Jackson Flanagan. Menlo tied it up 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth when senior Jacob Lee hit a sacrifice fly to center field, bringing in Tran and keeping the Knights in the game.
In the top of the seventh, senior Jake Sonsini came in to pitch for the Knights. Following a triple and two walks, the Panthers had the bases loaded. After a balk from Sonsini, Panther infielder Eric Breazeale scored. The Knights couldn’t score in the bottom of the seventh, ending the game with a 5-4 loss. Menlo ended their pre-league season with an 8-3 record.
Varsity assistant coach Steve Kelleher was impressed with the level of baseball played by both teams and has high hopes for the Knights going into their first league game against Mills High School on Tuesday, March 19. “We had an outstanding pre-league season,” Kelleher said.
