Westmont Baseball (14-5, 11-5 PacWest) split a doubleheader with Fresno Pacific (11-10, 6-4) on Saturday, but that is all it took for Westmont to claim three of the four games in the series. Westmont won the first game 3-2 before falling 12-3 in the second.
“The players battled this weekend,” said Westmont’s head coach Paul Svagdis. “Coming from behind in games two and three after being shut down offensively was impressive. We had solid pitching and defense in the first three games which will give you a chance to win.
“I appreciate the great effort and energy the team brought this weekend. Four games in 24 hours does not give you any time to sit back, debrief and get your mind right. So, anytime you can win a series in this format, it’s a great weekend.”
In today’s early game – the third game of the series – Joey Rico took the mound for the Warriors. He delivered five and one-third innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out two. Rico allowed just one walk.
Freshman KJ Rieden earned his first collegiate win by pitching two and two-third scoreless innings. He allowed just one hit, struck out two and faced the minimum number of batters.
Sophomore Brandon Tatch picked up his second collegiate save by pitching a scoreless ninth. He struck out two and gave up one hit.
The Sunbirds posted runs in the fourth and the sixth inning to take a 2-0 lead. In the fourth Chris Clement hit an RBI-single to left center to drive in Gabe Henderson from second. Then in the sixth, Henderson grounded out to the left side of the infield while driving in Darryl Dilworth, Jr.
Meanwhile, Fresno Pacific starter Drew Petty took a perfect game into the seventh inning, retiring the first 20 Warriors he faced. With two away in the bottom of the seventh, Jesse Di Maggio rewrote the story that Petty was writing.
Swinging on the first pitch he saw, Di Maggio connected and redirected the ball 381 feet over the left field fence just inside the foul pole. The ball left his bat at 113.8 mph. It was Di Maggio’s third home run in as many games.
With Petty’s perfect game, no-hitter and shutout in the rearview mirror, Tanner Beltowski stepped to the plate. On the fourth pitch he saw, Beltowski made it back-to-back solo dingers.
His opposite-field home run cleared the fence in right-center field. Powered by a 104.4 mph velocity off the bat, the ball travelled 369 feet.
With Petty still on the mound in the bottom of the eight, Westmont completed the comeback with all freshmen. With one away, Jarrett Kozma singled to right. Jack Zerkle was called upon to pinch run for Kozma and freshman Aaron Jacobson was sent to pinch hit.
Jacobson took the first pitch for a strike, then watched as Petty fired to first base four times in a row, trying to find Zerkle leaning the wrong direction. When Petty finally sent the ball toward the plate, Zerkle was off with the pitch.
Jacobson connected on the hit and run, finding the gap in right-center field. The ball bounced off the outfield fence as Zerkle rounded the bases, scoring what would turn out to be the winning run without a throw to the plate.
In the final game of the series, there would be no comeback for the Warriors. The Sunbird’s Jordan Isla, for the most part, kept Warrior hitters at bay, allowing just two runs on four hits in six innings of work.
Down 2-0, Westmont narrowed the gap when Rolen Reyes hit a sacrifice fly to left that plated Braydon Griffin. However, in the top of the fourth, Titus Wheelock hit his second solo home run of the game, putting the Sunbirds up 3-1.
The Warriors looked like they might have something cooking in the bottom of the fourth. After a lead-off walk to Beltowski, Isaac Veal singled through the left side of the infield, moving Beltowski to second.
That brought up Kozma who ripped the first ball he saw down the third base line, but just foul. Swinging on the next pitch, the ball stayed fair inside the third base line. However, Sunbird third baseman Aaron Martinez, Jr. had moved closer to the foul line.
Martinez fielded the ball, stepped on third, fired to second baseman Tejean Smith, who in turn relayed to Wheelock at first to produce a round-the-horn triple play.
The momentum from turning a triple play propelled the Sunbirds to three runs in the fifth, five in the sixth and one more in the seventh and final inning.
A bright spot for the Warriors in the bottom of the seventh was a pinch hit at bat by sophomore Aiden Voyles. In his first collegiate at bat, Voyles powered a 2-1 pitch 341 feet over the left field fence, just inside the foul pole.
Despite the lopsided score, Voyles teammates celebrate the moment with him in the dugout as though he had just produced a walk-off home run. In his college career, Voyles is now hitting 1.000 with a slugging percentage of 4.000.
Next up for the Warriors is a road trip to the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. On Friday and Saturday, March 13 and 14, the Warriors will match-up with Hawai’i Pacific. Then on Wednesday through Friday, March 18-20, Westmont will take on Chaminade.
The Warriors return home to face another Hawaiian team, hosting Hawai’i Hilo on Wednesday and Thursday, March 25-26.