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Looking to keep up the hot play, Anthony Perez (CSU East Bay) made his fourth start of the season. The Potters’ opening-day starter has pitched consistently well but was yet to win a game this season. 

After Perez mowed down the first three Legends, the Potters loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning off a single, error, and walk but failed to bring any runs in. The Legends actually struck the score column first with a two-run double in the second inning. It wouldn’t take long for the Potters to answer, however.

Ben Higdon (University of Kentucky) scored the Potters’ first run on a fielder’s choice, but Garret Forrester (Oregon State University) hit a home run with the bases loaded, taking the lead and putting the Potters up by three in the process. Forrester has hit 26 home runs in his three-year career at Oregon State, only one of which being a coveted grand slam. 

Perez went back to work in the third and fourth innings, only allowing one baserunner per inning before being relieved by Kevin Haynes (Sacramento State University) in the fifth. The Rocklin native entered play with a 1.80 ERA through five innings. Haynes walked the first batter he faced but Garret Forrester made another impressive play, gunning him down on a steal attempt.

The Potters restarted their scoring onslaught in the second half of the fifth when Brandon Forrester (Oregon State University) drove in Luke Odden (Georgia Southern University) with a deep triple into right field. Odden reached base with a walk, his second of the game. To that point in the season, Odden was hitting just .333, yet has reached base in 60% of his plate appearances. He has walked 12 times in only 7 games this season.

With Brandon Forrester on third, Luke Lavin (Stanford University) pinch-hit for Garret Forrester who drove him in with a double. Payton Brennan (UCLA) then drove in Lavin with a single extending the Potters’ lead to 8-2.

Haynes returned in the sixth for another scoreless frame before the Potters’ offense got back to work. The Potters scored four runs on five hits in the sixth. Brandon Forrester and Luke Odden scored six runs combined in the contest. 

Now leading by digits, Cade Pilchard (Santa Clara University) took the mound for the first time this season. Last season at Santa Clara, Pilchard had a 4-1 record and maintained a WHIP under 1. He allowed a few baserunners in the seventh but got out of harm’s way with a clutch strikeout to end the inning. 

As time was ticking later, the higher-ups decided to call the game after Pilchard retired the top of the eighth. The Potters defeated the Menlo Park Legends by a final score of 12-2 with a chance to sweep the entire five-game season series with a win on Sunday night.