ATHERTON, Calif. – With the regular season winding down and teams looking to book their tickets to the postseason, Jessup made the drive up I-80 on Tuesday for a date with Menlo. On a day where the Warriors could drastically affect their postseason picture one way or the other, the Warriors are now on the outside looking in following a Menlo sweep.
Entering Tuesday's action, Jessup sat half a game behind both Arizona Christian and Vanguard for second place in the GSAC. The top four teams earn a trip to Irvine for the 2023 GSAC Tournament, which begins on Monday, May 1, from OC Great Park.
Jessup jumped out to an early lead in game one as the hot bat of
Sam Lorge picked up from where she left off over the weekend, as Lorge doubled in a run in the first inning. Lorge is the two-time reigning GSAC Player of the Week, and the first-inning RBI gave her sole possession of the second-most RBI in the GSAC this season.
Katie Blankenheim received the nod in game one, and Menlo quickly got to her as a first-inning triple led to a run of their own. The Oaks added to their scoring in the second, taking a 2-1 lead as a sacrifice fly capitalized off a leadoff double.
A second Menlo triple in the fifth gave the Oaks a 3-1 advantage.
Blankenheim would ultimately allow three runs on eight hits over five innings of work. The Warriors turned to the bullpen in the sixth, calling on
Serena Navarrete for a scoreless inning.
Needing a rally, the Warriors scored a run on an odd play as
Kaylee Winn's sixth-inning sac bunt led to
Neva Adams scoring from first. Adams did not stop at second, forcing a throw across the infield to third that sailed out of play, allowing her to trot on home with the score now 3-2. But the rally would not go any further as Menlo took the opener by the 3-2 final.
The game one loss set up a familiar scenario for the Warriors, as Jessup entered Tuesday riding a streak of six consecutive doubleheader splits. In the previous five splits, Jessup dropped game one.
Terra Goetz got the nod in game two, and the Oaks were ready for her as they plated three runs in the second inning. On the opposite end, Jessup's offense was stymied as they were held scoreless for the sixth time this season.
Goetz ultimately surrendered three runs on eight hits over four innings of work before Navarrete entered for her second relief appearance of the day. Menlo tacked on five runs off of Navarrete, hitting the run-ahead rule as the Oaks won game two, 8-0, in six innings.
Now 9-10 in conference play, Jessup sits on the outside looking in for the postseason. The Warriors entered the day with an opportunity to move into second place, but now they sit half a game behind the Oaks in fifth.
The Warriors will see the Oaks again soon, as the two teams will meet next Tuesday in the final GSAC doubleheader of the regular season. But first, Jessup will visit Southern California for two games against San Diego Christian on Friday.
Friday's doubleheader, the final conference road games of the regular season, will begin at 1 p.m.
***
Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).
