Westmont Baseball put up three runs in the ninth inning of the second game of a doubleheader to earn a split with #13 California Baptist (10-5, 1-4) at Russ Carr Field on Saturday. The runs also broke a 32-inning scoreless streak by the Warriors (2-5, 1-4). California Baptist posted a 5-0 win in the first game while Westmont rallied for the 3-2 win in game two.
Max Gutierrez took the loss for the Warriors in the first game. The starter pitched six innings, giving up three runs on six hits. Gutierrez struck out three and walked four. Jon White pitched the seventh and eighth inning for the Warriors, giving up two runs on four hits. Chris Plance pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
Offensively, the Warriors struggled to find base runners in the first game. Westmont managed just four hits, two by sophomore catcher Luke Montzingo. Steven Goins was awarded the complete game win for the Lancers.
The second game turned into a pitcher's dual. Originally scheduled for seven innings, the game went into extra innings when the seventh inning came and went without a base runner crossing the plate. Neither starter figured in the decision, though both performed well. The Lancers' Cory Allen pitched eight innings, allowing no runs and four hits. Allen struck out nine and walked two. Westmont's Erik Gaustad put in seven and one-third innings for the Warriors without giving up a run. Gaustad allowed six hits, struck out four and walked one.
The ninth inning saw all of the scoring. Levi Garrett led off the top of the ninth for California Baptist, going against Westmont's Timothy Crabbe on the mound. Garrett reached on a single to center field and was replaced by Andrew Brasington as a pinch runner. One out later, Brasington reached second on a single to center by Eddie Quevedo. Crabbe then hit Dominic Zuniga with a pitch to load the bases with one out.
After coaxing Daniel Lasley to strike out, Crabbe gave up a hotly disputed RBI walk to Steve Carrillo to score the first run of the game. The Warriors were sure Carrillo had gone around on a 3-2 count, but the umpires saw it differently, allowing the run to score. Robert Lundy then recorded an RBI single to allow Quevedo to score. Crabbe brought an end to the inning by convincing Zach Aguirre to hit a tapper back to the mound.
Brandon Daily took the mound for the Lancer's in the bottom of the ninth inning. After getting Robert De Leon to fly out to center field for the first out, Daily quickly got into trouble. David Stout earned a walk to bring the tying run to the plate. Jordan Bottenfield then singled up the middle to advance Stout to first base. Terrell Wong connected on a monster shot to deep center field that would have cleared the fence in most ballpark. But at Russ Carr Field it proved to be no more than a very long single to load the bases.
Mark Boujikian came up to bat as a pinch hitter and rapped a ball down the third base line which was fielded by Aguirre, the Lancer's third baseman. Aguirre stepped on third, retiring Bottenfield for the second out. However, Aguirre had no other play as Stout crossed the plate to give Westmont its first run. Taylor Maddox then stepped to the plate and connected on a RBI single that advanced Boujikian to second base and evened the score at two when Wong crossed the plate.
After Anthony Martinez earned a walk to load the bases, Phil Valle came up to bat and worked the count to 3-1. Daily's next pitch got away from him, but not from Valle who was hit by the pitch for the game winning RBI.
Crabbe earned his first win of the season after pitching one and two-third innings. He gave up two runs on three hits, struck out three and walked one. Dailey was assigned the loss, falling to 1-1.
The Warriors will travel to Fresno for a Thursday game at Fresno Pacific which begins at 5:00 p.m. On Saturday, Westmont will host Point Loma Nazarene in a doubleheader. First pitch is at 11:00 a.m.
