Muristek
Chad Stoner pitched a complete-game win to help #6 Westmont Baseball (35-6, 23-5 GSAC) rebound from a loss in the first game and earn a split in today’s doubleheader with San Diego Christian (10-32, 6-16). The Hawks used an eight-run seventh inning in the early game to defeat the Warriors 10-7. The Warriors responded with an 11-1 win in game number two with Stoner limiting the Haws to just three hits.
While the Warriors and Hawks were competing on Hope International’s home field in Fullerton, the #15 Royals (31-10, 18-6) were 20 miles away taking on the #9 Lions of Vanguard (35-8, 18-6) in a battle of the second and third place teams. Vanguard took both games on Saturday, winning by scores of 7-6 and 3-1.
As a result, Vanguard and Hope are now tied for second place, three games behind Westmont. The Warriors have four conference games remaining while Vanguard and Hope each have eight. Vanguard will travel to William Jessup (19-20, 8-14) then host Westmont on April 22 and 23. Hope will play at OUAZ (16-22, 7-14) next weekend and host The Master’s (22-16, 9-13) on April 22 and 23.
To clinch the GSAC regular season championship, Westmont has a magic number of four. The Warriors need some combination of Westmont wins and losses by the second place team that add up to four to claim the title.
“As long as I have been in the GSAC, which is a long time, it always comes down to the last weekend,” said Westmont head coach Robert Ruiz. “As many calculations as I have thought about doing, I know better. At the end of the day, we have to take care of our own business.
“I’m not thinking about magic numbers or about what other teams are doing. I’d like to, but I know better. The teams we are competing with to stay at the top of this conference are two very good teams. We respect their ability to win baseball games and we know we are going to have to be prepared if we are going to be able to stay on top.”
In today’s first game, Westmont posted one run in the top of the first after Robbie Haw led off the inning with a single. A ground ball by Brady Renck to short could have resulted in a double play. However, Haw beat the second baseman to the bag, giving the Warriors runners at first and second. One out later, Thomas Rudinsky walked to load the bases. Then, Haw scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Josh Rego.
Back-to-back walks to Rudinsky and Rego started the top of the fourth inning. Josh Canada, serving as a courtesy runner for Rudinsky, advanced to third on a wild pitch before Rego stole second as Rodriguez struck out. Parker O’Neil singled up the middle to drive in both Rego and Canada.
Paul Mezurashi continued the inning by laying down a bunt single, moving O’Neil to second. Ryan Desaegher then singled to left to drive in O’Neil and give the Warriors a 4-0 lead.
The Hawks got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth when Aaron Hoch drove a lead-off home run down the left field line, making the score 4-1.
Haw got the Warriors going in the top of the seventh with a lead-off double to left center field. Then, Renck produced a single to short, advancing Haw to third. Ruiz called for the squeeze play and Reid laid down the sacrifice bunt, bringing home Haw to increase Westmont’s lead to 5-1.
Things fell apart for the Warriors in the bottom of the eighth as they surrendered eight runs on five hits, two walks and a hit batsman. Ryan Lystlund provided the big blow with a three-RBI home run to left center field, putting the Hawks up 9-5. All eight runs were scored after two outs had been recorded.
“It is uncharacteristic of this team, but in the game of baseball, sometimes those things happen,” said Ruiz of the Hawks’ scoring spree. “We really haven’t beaten ourselves this year, but we kind of did in that inning. We talked about it and we moved on. None of us were happy about the way it went down, but you have to be able to get back up and start competing and I thought we did that. We scored in each of the next two innings and kept going.”
Westmont took one run back in the top of the eighth inning. Luke Tillitt was walked, then took second on a ground out by O’Neil. One out later, Desaegher hit an RBI-single up the middle to score Tillitt.
The Hawks’ Cabral took the run back in the bottom half of the inning with a lead-off home run down the left field line, making the score 10-6.
Reid accounted for the game’s final run when he recorded his seventh home run of the season, a solo shot to right-center field.
Reliever Gabe Arteaga (3-2) suffered the loss for the Warriors after allowing three runs on one hit and two walks in just two-thirds of an inning.
Westmont wasted no time turning the tables in the second game, Renck was walked with one away. Then, with Rudinsky at the plate, Renck stole second – his team-leading 17th stolen base on 18 attempts this season. That put him in position to score when Rudinsky singled up the middle to make it a 1-0 ballgame.
The inning continued with Rudinsky stealing second with Rego at the plate. Rudinsky then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Rego drove in Rudinsky with another single up the middle. Westmont added another first-inning run with Martinez singled to right, driving in Rego who was running with the pitch.
Westmont added four more runs in the second inning on back-to-back blasts by roommates Renck and Reid. Jack Fletcher reached on an error and Haw produced and infield hit before Renck’s three-run shot to right. It was Renck’s 11th of the season. Reid followed with a shot to center, his second of the day and eighth of the season.
In the third inning, Westmont pressed its advantage to 9-0. With one away, O’Neil and Fletcher received back-to-back walks. A double steal advanced both men one base before Desaegher was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Haw’s ground ball to short retired Desaegher at second while O’Neil scored and Fletcher advanced to third. A throwing error by the second baseman as he attempted to turn a double play, allowed Fletcher to score as well.
With two away in the fourth, David Martinez singled through the right side, followed by O’Neil who singled through the left, advancing Martinez to second. When Fletcher singled to right, Martinez scored to make the score 10-0.
Renck pounded his second home run of the game in the fifth inning with a no-doubter solo shot to right-center field to record Westmont’s 11th run of the game.
“We saw a lot of pitchers in that game and found a way to consistently put runs on the board,” noted Ruiz. “The hitters did a nice job of moving on from the first game and keeping the pressure on throughout those seven innings.”
Stoner’s bid for a no-hitter came to an end in the top of the sixth when Johnny Radomskiy poked a solo home run over the fence in left-center field. He would allow two more hits, but no more runs in his first complete game of the year. The right-hander improved to 5-0 on the year. Stoner struck out 10 and walked two in seven innings of work.
“It was probably as good as I have seen him this year,” assessed Ruiz. “He was consistent, he was executing pitches and I really liked his demeanor. He led well from the mound and it was a really good performance by him today.”
Next week, Westmont will take a break from conference play and compete in just one non-conference contest. On Tuesday, the Warriors will travel to Compton to take on Marymount California (11-18) at the MLB Academy. The Warriors and Mariners have already played five previous times this year with Westmont winning all five games.
Ron Smith is the sports information director at Westmont College.
email: sports@newspress.com
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