Russell Harmening earned his fourth win of the season on Saturday as Westmont Baseball (7-8, 4-8 GSAC) took the first game of a Golden State Athletic Conference doubleheader, defeating #9 Concordia (12-5, 5-4) by a score of 6-4. The Eagles claimed the second game 4-3 in extra innings.
Harmening allowed three runs on three hits over seven innings or work. He struck out seven batters and walked two.
Brandon Gildea earned the save after entering the ninth with bases loaded and no outs. Gildea coaxed the Eagles' Dillon Bryant to hit into a double play without a run scoring. Then, Gildea retired Hodges on a ground out to first to preserve the win.
The Warriors posted their first run in the first inning when David Gabel drove in Gildea on a single through the left side. Gabel drove in Westmont's second run in the third inning, driving in Joey Gonzales from third base with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Three runs in the top of the seventh inning gave the Warriors a 5-0 lead. Graylin Derke led off the inning with a walk and was replaced on the first base bag by pinch runner Ryan Beveridge. A sacrifice bunt by Jarratt Rouse advanced Beveridge to second. When Chris Stroh grounded out to first, Beveridge took third.
Pinch hitter Casey Schapper reached on an error that also allowed Beveridge to score. Gildea then produced an infield single giving the Warriors runners at first and second. Gabel then tripled to left center field, driving in both Schapper and Gildea.
The Eagles put up three runs in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI triple by Mitchell Esser, a ground ball out by Atlee Schwab that allowed Esser to score, and solo home run by Bryant.
Westmont made the score 6-3 in the top of the eighth inning, when Stroh drove in Brent Fukushima on a single to left. Derke, who had been on second, also attempted to score on the play but was thrown out at the plate.
The bottom of the ninth saw the Eagles load the bases and bring in one run on a single by Schwab through the right side. That is when Gildea came in a closed out the game for the Warriors.
In the second game, Westmont picked two runs in the top of the second inning. Steven Pollex doubled down the right field line and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. A single by Will Barring to center field drove in Barring. Another wild pitch moved Barring to second. Two outs later, Turner Conrad delivered in pinch hit single to center field, driving in Barring.
In the bottom of the fifth, Concordia tied the game with two runs of its own. An RBI single by Spencer Nielsen drove in Bryant and a double to center by Robert Shiroky brought Nielsen home.
Westmont recaptured the lead after Gabel and Pollex reached on errors to open the sixth inning. After a walk to Barring, Brent Fukushima hit a ground ball to third that allowed Gabel to score.
In the bottom of the sixth, Esser led off and was hit by a pitch. After Schwab sacrificed him to second, Esser reached third on a ground out to second by Bryant. Esser then scored on a wild pitch.
With the score still tied at the end of the originally scheduled seven innings, the Warriors were unable to turn an extra-inning lead off single by Fukushima into a run. That opened the door for Concordia in the bottom of the eighth.
With one away, Nolan Clark singled to right field and was replaced by Ryan Land as a pinch runner. Esser then singled to right and reached second on a fielding error. Land moved to third on the play. Schwab was intentionally walked, bringing up Bryant whose walk-off single to right brought an end to the game.
Hunter Christenson took the loss for the Warriors after pitching two and two-third innings in relief. Christenson allowed two runs on three hits. Alex Bush started the game on the hill for the Warriors. He pitched four and two-third innings allowing two runs on four hits.
The Warriors will have a bye-week from GSAC play next week, giving them an opportunity for five non-conference games. On Wednesday and Thursday, the Warriors will take on British Columbia at Russ Carr Field. On Friday and Saturday, the Warriors will host Menlo in a three-game series.
