Menlo pulled into a tie for second place in the current NAIA West standings along with British Columbia thanks to a double header sweep over Corban Friday in Northern California.
Comstock Drive in Four Runs in Menlo's Double Header Sweep Over Corban
BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2
ATHERTON, Calif. – Menlo's Daniel Comstock hit the afternoon's lone home run as part of a four-hit afternoon that included four RBIs, as Menlo swept a NAIA West double header against Corban, 9-2 & 3-0, Friday at Cartan Field.
Menlo (23-14, 12-6 NAIA West) would get a combined four hits each from Comstock and Michael Brandi, while four Oaks – Kyer Vega, Jimmy Bosco, Corey Metoyer, and John Bowling – added two hits each.
Joey Webb would get the start in the opener allowing one unearned run on six hit in 8.0 innings of work en route to earning his fifth win of the season, while Kris Ramirez allowed one earned run on two hits in the game's final inning. Game #2 would see Derek Ramirez allow just five hits in 7.0 innings of work in order to earn his fourth win of the season, as Vega earned his fifth save of the year allowing just two hits over the final 2.0 innings.
Corban (22-15, 8-10 NAIA West) got a perfect 5-for-5 performance from Lathan Alger, while also getting a combined two hits each from Gregg Romero, Peter Martin, and Jordan Johansen. Four other Warriors – Matt Hamlin, Kyle Kunkel, Lance Foster, and Nate Williams – all registered a single hit in the double header, while Alger and Kunkel scored Corban's lone runs of the afternoon.
Jamie McCaffrey would get the start in Game #1 for Corban allowing nine runs (six earned) on 11 hits in 4.0 innings of work before turning the ball over to a duo of relievers – Justin White and Bryce Watterud – that combined to allow four hits in 4.0 innings of work. Game #2 would feature Jacob Kopra for the opening 7.0 innings, as the right-hander allowed two earned runs on three hits before turning the ball over to Caleb Virtue for the final inning as he allowed one unearned run on two hits.
GAME #1 — MENLO 9, CORBAN 2
In Friday's opener, Menlo would score nine unanswered runs over the first five inning with the Oaks plating five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning with the home team scoring their final three runs with the bases loaded.
Corban would plate its first run of the day in the top of the eighth inning when Alger led off with a double before moving to third on a ground out by Marc Labarthe. Jeremiah Forrister would step into the box as a pinch-hitter and reached on a fielding error by Menlo that allowed Alger to score cutting the Warriors' deficit to eight runs (9-1).
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Corban would score its final run of the afternoon when Kunkel registered a one-out single before coming home one batter later on Alger's single that pulled the Warriors within the final margin of seven runs (9-2).
Alger and Johansen would lead Corban's offense with two hits each, while Romero, Williams, and Kunkel recorded the Warriors' other three hits.
Menlo was led offensively by Brandi with a 3-for-5 performance, while four other Oaks – Comstock, Bosco, Bowling, and James Threw – all registering two hits.
GAME #2 — MENLO 3, CORBAN 0
The finale would be a pitcher's dual, as the host Oaks would score single runs in the second, seventh, and eighth innings despite being out hit 7-to-5 by Corban.
Comstock's solo home run in the bottom of the second inning would turn out to be the game-winning hit, as Menlo would get another RBI from Comstock in the seventh inning before Metoyer drove home Vega on a run-scoring single in the eighth inning for the game's final run.
Alger would lead Corban's offense with a three-hit performance, while Martin added two hits in three at-bats.
Menlo was led at the plate by Comstock with two hits and a pair of RBIs, while Vega, Metoyer, and Brandi were the only other Oaks to register a hit in Game #2.
Both teams will return to action tomorrow – Saturday, April 6th – in the final two games of this weekend's four-game series beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Cartan Field in Atherton, California.