Westmont picked up its first win of the season in Wednesday’s home opener, defeating Cal Lutheran, 7-3. Kellen Skersies (1-0) earned the win after pitching six innings and allowing only one run on five hits. He struck out two without issuing a walk.
The Warriors (1-1) scored in the first inning to establish a lead they would not surrender. Cal Lutheran starter
David Brethouwer surrendered a lead-off double to Westmont left fielder Taylor Grace, who moved to second on a line drive to right by freshman third baseman Jordan Bottenfield. Grace then scored on a sacrifice fly to left by designated hitter Cody Chapman.
After that, the next four innings turned into a pitcher’s dual. Skersies allowed four hits through the sixth inning but none of the Cal Lutheran base runners crossed the plate. Skersies was helped in large part by three double-plays, one of which he initiated when he caught an attempted bunt in midair and fired to easily retire a Kingsmen runner at first.
The other half of the pitching showdown was also performing well. After giving up the hits to Grace and Bottenfield, Brethouwer retired the next 15 batters. But the tide changed in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman center fielder Taylor Maddox led off with a home run to left, putting the Warriors up 2-0. Grace was awarded first base after being hit by a pitch and then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Bottenfield.
Chapman then delivered a single to left that allowed Grace to take third. Second baseman Mark Boujikian produced an RBI on a deep fly to left field that barely stayed in the park. Shortstop Anthony Martinez stepped to the plate and found coach Scott Deck calling for a hit and run. Chapman took off from first and Martinez blistered a line drive to right-center that Chapman had to dodge to avoid. Chapman turned on the afterburners and made it to third with Martinez taking second on the throw.
Martinez’s single ended Brethouwer’s performance on the mound as Cal Lutheran head coach Marty Slimak called Pete Schmitt to take over pitching duties.
After a walk to freshman first baseman Colten Christianson, catcher Luke Montzingo stepped to the plate and slammed a ground ball to Kingsmen shortstop Chad Heschong. The ball took a nasty hop upward, knocking off Heschong’s cap and sunglasses and bounding into center field as Chapman and Martinez scored to give Westmont a 5-0 lead.
In the top of the seventh, Kingmen first baseman Paul Hartmann led off with a home run to left center that chased Skersies from the game.
Freshman Keith Johnson took over on the mound but Heschong reached on a single to right that got past the right fielder, allowing him to advance to second. Johnson then coaxed center fielder Nick Pinneri to ground out to second with Heschong taking third on the play. After a walk to designated hitter Vinny Lopez, who promptly stole second base, Johnson picked up the second out of the inning on a live drive to Grace in left field. Grace rifled the ball into the infield, preventing anyone from scoring on the play. But second baseman David Iden stepped to the plate and doubled down the left field line to score Heschong and Lopez and move the Kingsmen to within two runs, 5-3. That was the end of Cal Lutheran’s scoring, however, as Johnson retired the next four batters, two on strikeouts.
Westmont added two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. With one out, Martinez singled up the middle and advanced to second when Christianson was walked. Chris Batelli replaced Schmitt on the mound and Montzingo recorded his third RBI of the day with a double down the left field line, advancing Christianson to third. After intentionally walking right fielder Charles Whitman, Batelli gave way to Mike Paresa.
Paresa got Maddox to line out to right with the bases loaded, but he then walked Grace, allowing Christianson to score. Bottenfield almost emptied the bases on another line shot to right, but the Kingsmen’s Trevor Davidson made a tremendous stretch to keep the ball from getting past him.
Max Gutierrez was brought in as Westmont’s closer in the top of the ninth and retired the side in order —
the last two by strikeouts — to give the Warriors the victory.
Westmont begins its Golden State Athletic Conference schedule at 11 a.m. Saturday in Irvine, where the Warriors will play a doubleheader with Concordia.
Ron Smith is Westmont College‘s sports information director.