ATHERTON, Calif. - Menlo College ran into a hot-hitting William Jessup on Friday and paid the price, losing both ends of a California Pacific Conference doubleheader to the Warriors at Wunderlich Field. The Oaks lost the opener 9-1 and the nightcap 15-2.
Menlo scored the first run of the day, but didn't register another run until its final at bat of the doubleheader. In between it was all William Jessup, which knocked out 11 hits in game one and another 15 in game two. The Oaks were limited to a pair of hits in the opener, but broke through for five hits late in the finale.
In game one, Serina Stephens led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk and moved to second base on an Ululani Reyes sacrifice bunt. Jamie Pauley followed with a walk before Courtney Emry drove a ground-rule double to right field. Stephens scored for a 1-0 lead.
With two runners in scoring position and nobody out, the Oaks looked ready to do some real damage. But Pauley was called out at third base for leaving too early and Joedee Lovell followed Angela Woerz' walk with a fielder's choice to end the threat.
William Jessup answered with two runs in its next at bat and cruised from there. The Warriors scored three times in the fourth and tallied four more in the fourth to put the game away.
Stephens and Emry collected the Oaks only hits of the game while Woerz walked twice. Starting pitcher Jessica Cobb allowed four earned runs on six hits while Mikayela Viramontes surrendered four runs on five hits.
The Warriors struck for three runs in the first inning of the nightcap and never let up. William Jessup added two in the second and one in the third before hitting three home runs in a nine-run fourth inning.
Menlo loaded the bases with none out in the fourth inning, but couldn't push a run across. Reyes started with a single to center field, Woerz was hit by a pitch, and Emry singled up the middle to fill the bags. Lovell struck out before Tenea Golson lined out to pitcher Kara Besseghini, who threw to third base for an inning-ending double play.
The Oaks finally got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning. Amanda Vegas blooped a one-out single into center field. After Nadia Le'i hit a fly out to right, Stephens reached on an infield error. Reyes then smacked a ball to right-center field that right fielder Ashley Mendez couldn't get with a dive. Vegas and Stephens each scored as Reyes raced into second base with a double.
Reyes finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBI's while Woerz singled for the Oaks. Viramontes took the loss, though she returned in the fifth to pitch a scoreless inning after earlier being replaced by Cobb.
Menlo is now 1-9 in the Cal Pac and 6-24 overall. The Oaks host Simpson (8-0, 26-15) on Saturday at 12 p.m. in another conference doubleheader. William Jessup is 6-4 in the Cal Pac and 22-17 overall.