Westmont Baseball (3-10, 2-9) hung three runs on the scoreboard in the second inning, but couldn't hold off the Mustangs of #9 The Master's (14-4-1, 7-4) who left Russ Carr Field with an 8-3 win on Thursday afternoon. Westmont committed four errors which led to five unearned runs.
Starter Tim Crabbe (1-1) was assigned the loss. He pitched five innings, giving up four runs, only one of which was earned. He allowed four hits, struck out four and issued two walks. The Master's Ranulfo Grijalva (2-0) picked up the complete game win, allowing three runs on seven hits. He struck out three and walked one.
Junior first baseman Mark Boujikian jump started Westmont's offense with a lead-off home run in the in the bottom of the second inning. Sophomore right fielder Charles Whitman was hit by a pitch and then stole second base. Freshman catcher Kyle Noe received a walk and was replaced by Luke Yardy at first base as a pinch runner.
Both runners advanced one base on a wild pitch before freshman third baseman Jordan Bottenfield delivered a single to left-center which scored Whitman and moved Yardy to third base. Freshman left fielder Brent Meschuk came up to the plate and laid down a bunt single that allowed Yardy to score. Bottenfield reached third on the play, the result of an error by the Mustang's third baseman.
With no outs, two on and three runs in, Westmont was threatening to blow the game open. But the Warriors could not push another run across the plate and settled for a 3-1 lead after two innings of play.
Westmont threatened again in the third and fourth innings, but could not score. The final out of the bottom of the fourth was the first of 14 batters in a row retired by Grijalva. In fact, a bunt single by Whitman in the bottom of the ninth produced Westmont's only base runner from the fifth inning on.
Meanwhile, The Master's added a run in the top of the third, two in the fifth, one in the sixth and two in the seventh, including a seventh inning lead-off home run to left-center field by left fielder Pete Goeman.
Westmont will return to Russ Carr Field on Saturday as they host #2 Azusa Pacific (17-2, 9-2) in a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
