ROHNERT PARK, CALIF. - On Tuesday, March 19th, the Sonoma State baseball team took a break from conference action and battled Menlo College for the second time this season. The Seawolves would lose a high scoring affair in game one of Tuesday's doubleheader but come back to put up 10 runs and take game two 10-2, with the SSU pitching staff holding the Oaks offense to just three hits in the game.
GAME ONE SSU 5-10 MENLO
Menlo would get off to a hot start with a 5-run 2nd inning. Six straight hits would chase the Seawolves starter and allow Lefty
Noah Souza to come in for his second appearance dating back to the weekend against Cal Poly Pomona. After giving up an RBI double to the first batter he faced, he would get a pair of ground ball outs to end the threat and send SSU into the bottom half of the inning.
A leadoff single from
Garret Barto followed by a pair of walks would load the bases for sophomore infielder
Zach White. White got the start at shortstop in game one and made the most of it with an RBI single to left field to score Barto from third. Two batters later
Paden Riley, who got the start at second, would battle a 3-2 count and send a fly ball to right field to score Jaden Pickwoitz from third. Second year third baseman
Cooper Callison would come to the plate and slap a double to right center to plate White and cut the deficit to just one run.
A bunt single from
Aryonis Harrison would help extend the inning and then after stealing second, the throw down would get into center field and score Callison from third to knot the game at five.
Unfortunately, the Seawolves were held scoreless for the next 7 innings as Menlo went on to throw 7 pitchers to keep the SSU hitters off balance all game long. The Oaks would homer in the 4th and the 7th to extend their lead and seal the 10-5 victory.
Colt Wuelfing came in to throw three solid innings for the Seawolves, making his third appearance of the season. He gave up just two runs and three hits while utility player
Niko Tejada and right hander
Seth Gillaspy would complete the final two innings without surrendering a run.
GAME TWO SSU 10-2 MENLO
Head coach
John Goelz would flop his strategy in game two with a more conventional starting lineup. After giving up a solo shot in the 2nd, the Seawolves would explode for a 5-run inning in the bottom half of the inning which included a bases clearing double from second year infielder
Mark Hernandez.
SSU would wrap things up in the 6th with another 5-run inning. A leadoff triple from
Cooper Callison would set the tone and then two batters later,
Kenny Decelle would rifle a ball to the left center gap and jet around the bases for his second triple of the season. Sonoma State would go on to score three more runs in the inning taking advantage of costly passed balls and a throwing error by the Oaks catcher.
Junior transfer
Daniel Killingsworth made his first start of the 2024 season and got through two innings allowing just the solo shot in the second but striking out four batters.
Michael Panichi would relieve veteran right hander
Hogan Weaver in the fourth and get a strikeout and an inning ending double play to end the Oaks threat. Panichi went on to pitch a scoreless, 7-pitch 5th inning to help earn his first win of the season.
Long Beach City College transfer
Marcellus Henry would follow Panichi with the Seawolves up 5-2, and after completing the final two innings, he would earn his first save of the season. He would allow just one hit and strikeout a batter in his 7th appearance of the season.
Hernandez and Decelle had the big RBI hits earlier in the game but senior outfielder
Sean Pauly had a career day, going 3-3 from the plate with a stolen base and two runs scored. He flexed his versatility and athleticism on the base paths posing as a threat every time he reached base.
Zach White also added another pair of hits in the game to finish the day 3-6 with two runs scored and an RBI.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Seawolves split the non-conference doubleheader with Menlo College and improve to 10-12 overall and remain 4-8 in conference play. SSU will hit the road this weekend and take on bay area rival San Francisco State. Game one is slated for Friday, March 22nd at 3:00 PM. Live stats and stream links can be found at sonomaseawolves.com and you can stream the game LIVE on the CCAA Network.
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