The Menlo School baseball team closed the curtains on its season Tuesday in the CCS Div, V semifinals after a 14-4 loss to Sacred Heart Prep at Washington Park.
The Knights finished the season 15-11-1, and third in the PAL-Ocean, improving on a rough season in 2021. “The season was great to watch the kids develop into better players, better teammates,” said Greg Hart, who is co-coach with Tink Reynoso. “Going from a tough season last year to a 15-win season and CCS semifinals is a big improvement.”

“We came into this year with newfound energy and a greater sense of ourselves as a team and as brothers,” senior catcher Eric Young said. “We get along so well, and that is one of the main reasons we had had success this year.” 

Menlo and SHP split the season series, and were seeded seventh and sixth respectively. Knights baseball alumni, JC Ng ’21 and Justin Nam ’20, who just finished their seasons at Pomona and Johns Hopkins were on hand to root on Menlo in San Jose.
Though short-handed with several starters out ill on Tuesday, Menlo put up a fight. Menlo fell into a 9-0 hole by the second inning, then woke in the third when it scored all of its runs.

Sophomore Garrett Tran started the rally with a base hit, then stole second. Senior catcher Eric Young delivered a double, then junior third baseman Matt Haven sent a hit sailing past second base, scoring Tran. Sophomore Jake Sonsini’s single scored Young and Haven came home on an error.With two out, junior Trey McNair sent a sharp single back over the mound to score junior Colin Dhaliwal, who walked, and the Knights pulled to within 10-4.
Menlo would hold Sacred Heart Prep the next two innings before the Gators’ Mason Chetcuti’s single ignites a four-run sixth, and the game would be called due to the 10-run rule.
Young finished with a pair of hits for Menlo, which scattered six hits. 

“We started off strong, but we had some rough games throughout the season. However, we persevered, and we dealt with various injuries, having people play positions they aren’t used to, and keeping the energy up through a long and hard season,” Young added. “We spent so much time playing baseball at Menlo and it is now all over so fast.” 

Menlo School 004 000 x - 4 6 3
Sacred Heart Prep 361 004 x - 14 11 3
Dhaliwal, Sonsini (3), McNair (5) and Young; Feinstein, Thomson (5) and Checuti.

Menlo 9, Evergreen Valley 5

The Menlo School baseball team overturned host Evergreen Valley 9-5 in a CCS Div. V opener in San Jose on Saturday. The No.7 Knights (15-10-1) will play No. 6 Sacred Heart Prep (15-13) - a 7-0 winner over No. 3 Scotts Valley. The semifinal is 4:00 pm Tuesday at Washington Park in Santa Clara.
On Saturday, sophomore Ryan Schnell (7-3) picked up the victory. He allowed two earned runs on five hits, striking out six. Junior Trey McNair not only got the save, but also went 2 for 2 with 3 RBI. Senior Chase Hurwitz went 2 for 4 with 2 with an RBI as the Knights unleash 14 hits.

Menlo School        020 114 10 – 9
Evergreen Valley    201 001 1x – 5

Schnell, Sonsini (6), McNair (7) and Young; Strite, Garcia (5), Avalos (6)
HR- EV: Akash Sudhakar. 
2B - M: Cleage, McNair, Hurwitz