Westmont Baseball (23-14, 20-14) split a doubleheader at Point Loma (33-8, 29-5) on Friday, falling in the first game by a score 7-4, then responding with an 8-4 win in the second.

“It was a good bounce back by the team today,” said Westmont head coach Paul Svagdis. “Point Loma is a great club, so we knew we had our work ahead of us. The players competed in both games.

“Joey Rico and Caden Beloian gave us two quality starts. They are both bulldogs for us.”

Rico pitched seven innings, in game one, allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out five and walked two. Beloian started game two and pitched five and one-third innings. He allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits, struck out four and walked three on his way to picking up his second win of the season.

In the opener, Point Loma scored first, courtesy of a solo home run to right in the bottom of the first by Josiah Rodriguez. The Warriors’ answered with a run in the top of the second when Noah Williams’ single up the middle drove in Kaden Petersen from second. Peterson had reached on a single through the right side and advanced to second on a single to left by Aaron Jacobsen.

In the bottom of the third. An infield single by Aiden Arriaga drove in Owen May from third, resulting in a 2-1 Sea Lion lead. Then, in the bottom of the fourth, Point Loma went up 3-1 when Hank Smith scored on an RBI-single by Jake Schwartz.

In the top of the seventh, Williams singled to left, then reached second on a wild pitch. After Isaac Veal was walked, Rico grounded out to first, advancing Williams to third and Veal to second. Williams scored when Beltowski grounded out to third, pulling the Warriors within one.

Then in the top of the eighth, Westmont evened the score at three-runs apiece. After a lead-off walk by Griffin Brown, Petersen produced a sacrifice bunt, moving Brown to second. Brown stole third, then scored on a double to left center by Jacobsen.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, a four-run eighth by Point Loma provided the winning runs for the Sea Lions. Mason Cook drove in the first run with an RBI-single to center that plated Rodriguez. Then, Hank Smith hit a three-run home run to right.

With two outs in the ninth, Beltowski singled up the middle, then reached third when Jesse Di Maggio doubled to right center. A single to center by Brown drove in Beltowski, made the score 7-4 and brought the final potential tying run to the plate. However, that was as close as the Warriors would get.

Westmont got off to a fast start in the second game. Noah Williams started off the top of the first when he walked on five pitches. Beltowski’s single through the left side moved Williams to second. Williams tried to take third on a pitch on the dirt. However, the Sea Lion catcher recovered the ball and threw out Williams for the first out of the inning.

The inning continued with Rico walking, moving Beltowski to second. Then, Di Maggio singled through the left side driving in Beltowski and moving Rico to second. When Jacobsen was hit by a pitch, Westmont had the bases loaded with Warriors.

Peterson hit a bouncing ball in the infield that the third baseman charged. However, the throw to the plate hit Rico in the back, allowing him to score and leaving the bases loaded with one away. One out later, Braydon Griffin singled to left center, driving in Jacobsen and Di Maggio and making the score 4-0.

In the top of the fifth, Di Maggio led off with a double to right center. Two outs later, Aiden Voyles singled through the left side, driving in Di Maggio.

In the top of the fifth, Di Maggio produced another lead-off hit, this time a single through the right side. Jacobsen then stepped to the plate and homered to right center, giving the Warriors a 7-0 advantage.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Sea Lions loaded the bases with no outs before Ryan Ruch walked to bring in Point Loma’s first run. Brandon Tatch was asked to take over for Beloian. A single up the middle, an error and a hit by pitch resulted in three more runs in the inning for the Sea Lions.

“Tatch showed some great tenacity after getting weak contact multiple times and poor play behind him,” said Svagdis. “He did a great job letting it go and competing on each pitch.”

Before Tatch returned for the bottom of the seventh, Westmont added another run in the top half of the inning. With two away, Jacobsen and Petersen hit back-to-back doubles, making it an 8-4 score.

In the bottom of the seventh, Tatch retired the first two batters on a pop up and swinging strike out. After giving up a single to Ryan, Tatch induced a ground ball to second to retire the side and secure the win for the Warriors.

“Aaron Jacobson and Braydon Griffin both had nice approaches at the plate today, giving us a chance to put some runs on the board,” noted Svagdis.The Warriors and Sea Lions will face off again tomorrow in another doubleheader, beginning at noon.