Despite a first inning two-run home run by senior catcher Dominick Paluso, his twelfth of the season, Westmont baseball (6-31, 2-21) fell to the #6 Eagles of Biola (25-9, 18-7) by a score of 11-7 on Wednesday afternoon. Paluso, who holds the Westmont career home run record at 36, is threatening the Warriors' career RBI record. With 36 runs batted in this season, Paluso has amassed 117 in his career, just seven shy of the record of 124 set by Steve Reed (1985-88). The Warriors have nine games remaining in the season including another game today at Biola.
Senior pitcher Kiel Zielke (2-5) took the loss for the Warriors, giving up six runs on eight hits in two and two-thirds innings of work. Zielke escaped a jam in the first inning after Biola designated hitter Adam Yoder led off the inning with a single to right field and left fielder Tim Wells reached on an error. With no outs and runners at first and second, Zielke struck out first baseman Nick Dietzman and then coaxed second baseman Chris Weems to ground into a double play.
After the Eagles scored three runs in both the second and third innings to post a 6-2 lead, the Warriors narrowed the margin with a single run in the top of the fourth. A one out walk to senior designated hitter Ryan McGill was followed by a double to left field by senior third baseman Jordan Ballard. McGill then scored on a ground ball to the left side of the diamond.
Biola picked up two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, but Westmont responded by scoring two runs of their own in the top of the sixth on a two run home run by Ballard. Biola made the score 9-5 with a run in the bottom of the sixth, but the Warriors scored two more runs in the top of the seventh.
Freshman Nick Shaver led off the sixth with a pinch hit double to right field. After sophomore center fielder Vinny Lopez struck out, Steven Hardesty pinch hit and reached on an error that also allowed Shaver to reach third base. Hardesty moved up to second on a wild pitch to give the Warriors men at second and third with one away. Sophomore second baseman Philip Valle struck out, but sophomore first baseman Erik Gaustad singled to center to drive in both Shaver and Hardesty.
As a result, the Warriors were down just 9-7 going into the eighth inning. Unfortunately, Westmont could not muster any more runs while the Eagles tacked on two more in the bottom of the eight to account for the final score.
The Warriors will return to Biola for another game with the Eagles today at 3:00 p.m. Sophomore Jonathan White is expected to take the mound for the Warriors.
