BASEBALL: Errors Doom Scots in Loss to M-A

The Score: Menlo-Atherton 10, Carlmont 7.

The Star: Carlmont High’s Colton Hicks, the 2010 Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division home run leader, continues to pick up where he left off last season. The senior catcher hammered a 1-1 Chace Warren pitch to left field for his second homer of the season in the bottom of the seventh inning of a PAL Bay game on Wednesday afternoon in Belmont. Hicks went 2-for-3 with a walk, three RBIs and three runs for the defending league co-champions, but his effort was undone by costly Carlmont errors.

The Turning Point: Carlmont took a 6-3 lead into the top of the seventh, but that advantage would not hold up, as Menlo-Atherton (7-5, 2-3 PAL Bay) rallied in a big way. Bears shortstop Casey Eason drew a leadoff walk to open an inning that saw Carlmont (8-5, 4-3) endure five errors, two wild pitches and a passed ball to surrender seven unearned runs. Myles Brewer had the only hit of the inning and Chace Warren added a sacrifice fly.

The Quote: “Every game it’s the same thing, we play to win. Today we just had some bad breaks, but we’re not going to change anything.” -- Carlmont catcher Colton Hicks, on the reaction to Wednesday’s loss and how his team will move forward in league play.

What’s Next? Carlmont will look to exact revenge when it faces M-A on the road to wrap up the season series on Friday. First pitch is at 3:15 p.m.

The Bottom Line: Wednesday’s game marks the third time this season Carlmont has committed at least five errors in a contest. The Scots have lost two of those games. Carlmont continues to excel in pitching (1.62 ERA entering Wednesday) and batting (.296 team batting average), but 25 errors in 13 games will cost even the strongest teams.

Notes: Carlmont swept the season series 2-0 from M-A last year, a 7-0 victory and a walk-off win. … Hicks has two homers in three career games against the Bears. … M-A, No. 10 in , hadn't defeated the No. 5 Scots since March of 2008. … Despite pitching the seven-run seventh, Carlmont’s Daniel Madigan has still only given up one earned run this season. Madigan was the only returning All-PAL Bay first-teamer to take the field Wednesday. … Hicks has homered in the Scots’ last two league games.

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Menlo-Atherton 10, Carlmont 7

WP: Cortez (2-2). LP: Madigan (3-2). Save: Warren 1.

MA -- 200 001 7—10 7 1

C -- 200 040 1 – 7 7 6

HR: Hicks (C). 2B: Falkenhagen (MA); Hicks, Marley (C). 2 Hits: Falkenhagen (MA); Hicks (C). 3 RBI: Hicks (C). 2 RBI: Falkenhagen (MA).  

Records: Menlo-Atherton 7-5, 2-3 PAL Bay. Carlmont 8-5, 4-3 PAL Bay.