Millbrae, Belmont split double-header

Millbrae put their first run on the scoreboard with only one out in the first. After lead off batter Logan Freethy walked and stole second with Jim McCarthy at bat, he was driven home by a Steve Harty single.

Belmont jumped ahead 3-1 in the bottom of the first, sending their entire lineup to bat. Dennis McGovern popped a double as the second batter and was joined on base by Matt Van Orden, who had been hit by a pitch. Matt Delba was walked two batters latter to load up the bases. Another batter was walked to bring one run home and was subsequently followed by a Ryan Moskovitz single which brought home two more.

Several critical errors by Belmont in the second helped Millbrae take a 5-3 lead. A Van Orden error allowed Millbrae's first batter, Albee Filous, to stretch a single into an extra base. Corey Pollack was hit by a pitch and then Eric Fregosi, who had laid down a routine sacrifice bunt, managed to reach first and advance the other runners because of another Van Orden error.

With the bases now loaded, Freethy was walked to bring in one, a wild pitch to McCarthy brought home the second and McCarthy followed with a single to bring in the third. Harty then smashed a shot deep to center, resulting in a sacrifice fly which brought home Freethy for the fourth run.

Belmont squeaked a run out in the bottom of the fifth to pull within one, 5-4. Pacheco, who was showing signs of fatigue on the mound, gave up two singles and a walk to load the bases. Millbrae manager Eric Gieseker walked to the mound, gave Pacheco a pat and motioned for Brunicardi to come in from the bullpen. Ryan McGee, who had been throwing most of

the game for Belmont, strolled to the plate and hit a 1-0 pitch to shortstop. The grounder should have been an out but the ball was booted, allowing a run to score and McGee to reach first.

After Millbrae stretched the lead by one run in the sixth, 6-4, their bats in the last inning heated up. McCarthy, Harty and Ryan Walsh combined for the first of two runs as they went double, single, single respectively. Sutton Howard followed and put down a sacrifice bunt that brought in Walsh from third to make it an 8-4 game.

Belmont was not about to go quietly into the night, however. Two walks and a Moskovitz single managed to load the bases with one out. After another walk brought a runner home, Brunicardi recorded a strikeout but then gave up a two-run single to Van Orden. Belmont's luck run out there, however, as Nick San Filippo lined out to left field to end the game.

"It was frustrating," said Belmont's McGovern. "We had some bad defensive lapses."

For Millbrae, Gieseker felt his guys he played well, especially Pacheco, Filous and Howard.

"When we execute it's all the difference," said Gieseker.

In the first game, Belmont thrower Sam Suyeyasu ran his record to a perfect 3-0 as Belmont won 7-6.

Suyeyasu, who threw 117 pitches, recorded seven strikeouts, four walks and 10 hits allowed over the six innings. Moskovitz came in to earn the save in the seventh.

Most of the offensive action came during a very intense third inning, with both teams scoring four runs in their at bat. Belmont's Jason and Ryan Fairchild each had two RBIs in the win.