ATHERTON, Calif. – The OUAZ baseball team had quite the day against Menlo on Saturday as the teams played a doubleheader at Cartan Field. OUAZ rallied and then hung on late to win game one 13-12 and then game two was suspended due to darkness after the sixth inning with the score even at 1-1.
 
At the end of the day, OUAZ currently sits at 5-13 overall this season and they are now 3-6 in Golden State Athletic Conference games. Menlo fell to 10-12 overall and 5-6 in the conference.
 
GAME 1
In a back-and-forth affair that saw both teams give up leads, OUAZ was able to survive a late rally from the Oaks to earn its first win in the series. The Spirit led 13-8 going to the bottom of the ninth, only to see Menlo score four times before Myles White struck out Menlo's Donny Bendo with runners on second and third to end the game.
 
Elijah Celaya recorded the first cycle in program history going 4 for 6 with five RBI. He had an RBI single in the first inning, hit a 3-run home run in the third inning, tripled to start the seventh, and then delivered an RBI double in the ninth inning. The five RBI are the most by a Spirit player this season and tied for second-most in team history.
 
Griffin Hagen also homered in the game for the Spirit, hitting a 2-run blast in the seventh inning that put the team in front for good. Adrian Salazar and Jordan Hollins had three hits apiece while Daniel Partida and Juan Navarrete each finished with two RBI.
 
Anthony Quattrocchi (1-2) earned the win after giving up one run on five hits in 3.1 innings of relief. White struck both batters he faced to earn his third save of the season.
 
GAME 2
After all the craziness of the first game, the nightcap delivered a pitcher's dual as the teams combined for just five hits and a pair of unearned runs. OUAZ took a 1-0 lead on a Hollins sacrifice bunt in the top of the first and then Menlo tied it with a groundout in the bottom of the fourth.
 
The game was stopped due to darkness after six innings. Plans to finish the game will be announced at a later date.
 
Partida, Celaya, and Hagen had the three hits for the Spirit.
 
Travis Turner pitched 3.2 innings and allowed the one run and two hits. White went the next 2.1 innings without allowing a hit.
 
QUOTING MONTEZ
"Our guys did a good job of competing all day and a really good job of bouncing back from a tough day yesterday," OUAZ head coach Tim Montez said. "We showed some resiliency and toughness that we need to carryon from this point forward."
 
UP NEXT
The Spirit will play their GSAC series against Arizona Christian next Friday and Saturday, March 6-7. The games will by played at Apollo High School starting at 10 a.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday.
 
NOTE: Statistics from game two will not count in the season totals until the game is completed.