Westmont baseball ties program record with win

By RON SMITH WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Westmont Baseball (27-15, 13-5

GSAC), ranked 12th in the NAIA, tied the program record for consecutive games won by taking both ends of a doubleheader against Jessup (6-10-1, 12-17-1) on Friday.

Last season, under then-head coach Robert Ruiz, Westmont lost its first game of the season, then won the next 17 to establish the record. This year, under first-year head coach Tyler LaTorre, the Warriors have matched that 17game unbeaten streak.

The Warriors, whose unblemished winning ways have lasted 41 days, have not lost since February 18. During the run, Westmont has outscored its opponents 144-90 and has posted a team ERA of 3.23 compared to their opponents’ ERA of 8.84.

Westmont’s winning streak is the second-longest active streak in the NAIA. Benedictine-Mesa has a 19-game winning streak

Bryan Peck (6-1) turned in the first complete game of the year needing just 98 pitches in the nineinning game that lasted an hour and 55 minutes. The right-hander allowed only two hits, struck out 11 and issued two walks.

In the bottom of the fourth, Parker O’Neil sent a lead-off single into left-center field before Liam Critchett walked, advancing O’Neil to second. Shane Hofstadler’s fly out to deep right allowed O’Neil to take third. Trey Dunn then sent a 0-1 pitch down the left field line for an RBI-double. Critchett took third on the play.

Michael Soper also hit the ball down the left field line. His shot hit the third-base bag and bounded into left field for an RBI-single. An attempted squeeze bunt by Haw resulted in Dunn being thrown out at the plate. With runners at first and second, Brady Renck dropped a bloop double down the right-field line, driving in Soper.

That’s when Ryan DeSaegher stepped to the plate and hit a three-RBI opposite-field home run just to the right of the scoreboard.

With the Warriors up 6-0, Peck retired the side in order in the top of the fifth, including registering his six and seventh strikeouts.

In the bottom of the fifth, Critchett walked again and came around to score once more. This time he crossed the plate courtesy of a towering home run over the left field fence by Hofstadler that made the score 8-0.

The Warriors were not done scoring in the inning, however. A single to left by Soper, a walk by Haw and an infield single by Renck loaded the bases for DeSaegher. The Warriors’ third baseman doubled his RBI total to six with a double down the left field line.

Up 11-0 after five innings of play, the Warriors tacked on two more in the sixth when Hofstadler went deep again. After Critchett walked for the third time, Hofstadler drove him in with a home run down the left field line.

Jessup scored their lone run in the top of the seventh. A lead-off double by Chris Lopez turned into a runner on third with one away when Dustin McElwain grounded out to second. Chris Cook also ground out to second, allowing Lopez to score. email: sports@newspress.com

In the second game, the Warriors jumped out to a 2-0 game in the bottom of the first. With one away, Renck, DeSaegher and Bryce McFeely produced back-to-back-toback doubles to score the runs.

A two-out triple by Kevin Gutierrez led to a run scored for Jessup in the top of the second, making the score 2-1. Westmont extended the lead to 71 in the bottom of the third on a pair of home runs. After Haw singled to right, Renck connected for a twoRBI home run over the right-center field fence. After Westmont put men on first and second with a walk by McFeely and a single to right by O’Neil, Finn Snyder powered a three-run homer to left.

With one away in the bottom of the fourth, Renck reached on a walk before DeSaegher doubled down the left field line, giving Westmont runners on second and third. Renck scored on a sacrifice fly to left by McFeely, making the score 8-1.

In the top of the fifth, Jessup picked up a run on an RBI-single by Lopez. Nick Kasparian scored on the play after having previously reached on a double down the right-field line.

Westmont blew the game open with five more runs in the bottom of the fifth. After Snyder singled to left, Dunn did the same, advancing Snyder to second. Kaden Tsuji then walked to load the bases.

With Soper pinch running for Tsuji, Daniel Patterson reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed Snyder to score and left the bases loaded.

Haw also reached on a fielder’s choice on which Dunn scored and Soper was retired at second base. Renck then walked to reload the bases and Dusty Schraeder took his place as a pinch runner.

DeSaegher picked up his eighth RBI of the day when he was hit by a pitch and Soper scored. Westmont added another run when McFeely singled to left, driving in Haw and leaving the bases full of Warriors. A sacrifice fly to center field by pinch hitter David Martinez brought home Schraeder, making the score 13-2.

Jessup scored two in the sixth on a home run by Kayde Iranon and one in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Springer to account for the final score.

Eric Oseguera (5-0) was awarded the win. He allowed two runs on six hits in five innings of work. Oseguera struck out seven and walked one. Christopher Ceballos pitched the final two innings, allowing three runs on two hits. Tomorrow, Westmont will have a chance to break the program record of consecutive games won when Jessup and Westmont meet up in another doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.

Ron Smith is the sports information director at Westmont College.