Right-hander Tim Crabbe gave up just two runs, one of which was earned, in a three-hit complete game victory over #12 Azusa Pacific on Thursday afternoon at Russ Carr Field. Beginning with the final batter in the top of the first inning, Crabbe sat down 19 Cougars in a row in the Warriors 4-2 win.
"I think he was pitching amazing," said Westmont catcher Sam Wiley. "Every pitch had movement. For the most part his pitches were down but when they were up, the batters were chasing them and not hitting. It was the best pitching performance I have seen him give."
"I was just trying to hit Sam's glove the whole time," said Crabbe. "Throwing strikes has been the biggest problem for me this year but that seemed to be working. Everything else just fell into place."
The junior baffled Cougar hitters, striking out nine while allowing just two walks.
"It is good to see all that work finally come together and to see him have some success," said Head Coach Scott Deck. "When he came in as a freshman, we knew he had the ability in him. I watched him completely buy into what Pitching Coach Dan Yokubaitis was teaching him and gradually get better and better.
"He had a set back last year and sat out because of an injury," continued Deck. "This year he was finding himself. It was a struggle for him to put it all together. To see him in these last three or four outings where he had all his stuff was to see him be the player we knew he could be. It is a testament to his work ethic and to Coach Yokubaitis and all the work he is doing with the pitching staff."
After Azusa Pacific posted an unearned run in the top of the first, Wiley came up to bat with two outs in the bottom of the first and knocked a solo home run over the Screen Monster in left field to tie the game at one. Wiley went four for four on the day to improve his batting average to a team high .397.
"It felt great because it put the momentum back in our court," said Wiley of the home run. "They came out hard and got one run, but for us to come back and get one run and tie the inning up was huge."
The Warriors added another run in the bottom of the second inning after designated hitter Colten Christianson led off with a single to right center. A sacrifice bunt by right fielder Terrell Wong moved Christianson to second. Mark Magdaleno then drove in Christianson with a bouncing single up the middle.
Westmont added two unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Magdaleno singled to right and reached second on a single to left by center fielder Taylor Maddox. A balk by Azusa Pacific starter Peter Gehle moved the runners to second and third with two away. Gehle coaxed third baseman Jordan Bottenfield to hit the ball back to the mound, but then threw the ball high to first base. The ball glanced of Brice Cutspec's glove allowing both Magdaleno and Maddox to score.
Meanwhile, Crabbe continued to shut down the Cougar offense, retiring the side in order from the second through the seventh inning.
Asked after the game whether he had been thinking about how many in a row he had retired, Crabbe replied, "I was trying not to. I'm more thinking about the fact that I hadn't walked anybody yet and about keeping that going. I didn't want to give a free pass and let their big guys try and drive them in. Sam does a great job of reading the hitters and I was thinking, 'Throw to where Sam calls it and throw what he calls.'"
Crabbe issued a walk to Virgil Chavira to lead of the eighth inning, ending the run of consecutive retired batters.
"I think I threw four fast balls in a row for a walk," said Crabbe. "I just couldn't hit (the strike zone). I had to sit back and gather myself and focus on staying back and throw strikes. I was lucky in worked out. On guy hit a double down the line but we were up three runs so I had a little room to work with. I didn't want to give up a big fly but keep them driving the ball on the ground. It was actually a good wakeup call for the ninth inning."
It was Eddie Crespo's double down the left field line that scored pinch runner Carlos Maddox, giving the Cougars their final run of the game.
In the top of the ninth, Crabbe struck out Cutspec for the third time before giving up a hit to catcher Ryan Delgado. But the Cougar threat ended on a ground ball to second by center fielder Drew Evens. Second baseman Mark Boujikian fielded the grounder and threw to shortstop Zeke Torres at second for the second out of the inning. Torres then threw to Magdaleno at first to bring the game to an end.
With the win, the Warriors improve to 15-29 on the year, including 11-22 against Golden State Athletic Conference opponents. The Warriors have not won 11 conference games since going 15-15 during the 2000 campaign. Westmont has defeated every conference team this season at least once with the exception of Fresno Pacific.
After posting a record of 3-20 in the first half of the season, the Warriors have gone 12-9 so far in the second half. Westmont has three games remaining – a doubleheader at Vanguard on Saturday beginning at noon and a rematch with Azusa Pacific on Tuesday at Russ Carr Field.
