Legends Show Growth During An Eventful Week 2
The Menlo Park Legends experienced an up-and-down week, but the stretch also showed clear signs of progress as the club began to find rhythm offensively and on the mound. After opening the week with a 5-2 loss to the San Luis Obispo Blues, Menlo Park continued to battle through a 14-10 slugfest against Walnut Creek before turning the corner with back-to-back strong performances against Sonoma.
The week opened with a competitive effort against San Luis Obispo, where Connor Murphy gave the Legends five solid innings while allowing just two runs and striking out five. Menlo Park managed only three hits but stayed aggressive on the bases, stealing seven bags and briefly tying the game in the fifth before the Blues pulled away late. While the result didn’t go their way, the Legends continued to showcase the aggressive style that has become a hallmark of the club early in the summer.
The offense broke through one day later against Walnut Creek, piling up 13 hits in a 14-10 loss. Mason Griffin went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, Ryan Duron added three hits and two RBIs, and Ethan Mooser and Ethan Jackson each homered as the Legends erased multiple deficits and continued to pressure the Crawdads throughout the night. Although the pitching staff struggled to contain Walnut Creek’s power-heavy lineup, the offensive explosion provided another encouraging step forward.
Menlo Park then carried that fight into its series with Sonoma. After falling 8-4 despite three RBIs from Duron, the Legends earned a dramatic 5-3 comeback victory on June 13, scoring three runs in the ninth inning behind Carlos Cruz Mar’s game-tying home run, Mason Griffin’s go-ahead triple and Ethan Mooser’s insurance RBI single. The pitching staff was equally impressive, combining for 14 strikeouts while limiting the Stompers to just five hits.
The Legends followed with another strong showing in a 6-3 win over Sonoma on June 14. Ryan Duron continued his hot streak with two more RBIs, while Kai Maynick delivered one of the team’s best pitching performances of the season, striking out 10 over seven shutout innings. With consecutive wins and improved play on both sides of the ball, Menlo Park heads into another busy week looking to build momentum. The Legends will travel to face the Alameda Merchants on Tuesday before returning home to host the Walnut Creek Crawdads on Wednesday at Baylands Park. Menlo Park then heads back to Sonoma for a two-game road set against the Stompers on Friday and Saturday before wrapping up the week with a matchup against the San Francisco Seagulls on Sunday in San Bruno. With confidence growing and key contributors beginning to settle into their roles, the Legends will look to continue their streak of wins against fellow foes in the CCL North.
