
Westmont Baseball competed at three-game sweep of #18 Concordia by taking both ends of a doubleheader on Saturday. The Warriors claimed the first game 5-3 and then won the nightcap 7-4.
Starter Daniel Butler (2-0) earned the win in the first game, pitching six and two-thirds innings. Butler gave up three runs on six hits, struck out three and walked two. Stephen Larson pitched a scoreless one and one-third innings in relief before yielding to Hector Lujan who earned his second save of the year by pitching the ninth.
The Warriors benefited by a pair of early two-run home runs. In the first inning, Will Barring followed a triple by Alex Bush with a home run to left center. Then in the second inning, Rudy Leon knocked the ball over the left field fence after Steven Pollex was walked.
Westmont's fifth run came in the top of the seventh after Ryan Crowe received a lead-off walk. Michael Stefanic advanced Beveridge (who was running for Crowe) to second on a ground out to the pitcher. One out later, Barring singled up the middle to drive home Beveridge.
In the second game, Westmont took a 1-0 lead on an unearned run in the top of the first. Stefanic and Bush led off with back-to-back singles before Stefanic was thrown out trying to steal third. Back-to-back fielding errors by Concordia led to Bush crossing the plate for the Warriors.
Concordia took their only lead of the series in the bottom of the second. After Ryan Goodman tripled, Mitchell Esser drove him in on a ground out to first. Kyle Jones would later single down the right field line to drive in Spencer Neilsen from second.
Westmont did not let the Concordia lead last long. Leading off the top of the second, Graylin Derke homered down the right field line to tie the score at two. Leon gained first after being hit by a pitch and then, with two away, took second on a single by Stefanic. Bush then doubled to right, scoring Leon and advancing Stefanic to third. Barring then delivered a two-RBI single to center to give Westmont a 4-1 advantage.
Concordia scored a single run in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit to two (4-2), but the Warriors scored in the top of the fifth to restore the margin to three. Bush led off with a double to right center and took third when Bush ground out to second. Matthias singled to bring Bush home.
Once again, Concordia pulled within two in the bottom of the sixth (6-4) when Esser doubled down the left field line to drive in Goodman.
Westmont responded again in the top of the seventh to account for the final score. With one away, Stefanic and Bush singled. Then, both advanced a base on a single to short by Barring. However, a throwing error by the Eagles' shortstop allowed Stefanic to continue and cross home plate.
Vasquez started on the bump for the Warriors, giving up three runs on five hits in three and two-thirds innings. Five more Warriors took the mound surrendering a combined one run on one hit in three and one-third innings. Hector Lujan earned his second save of the day by pitching the seventh.
The Warriors will play Arizona Christian next weekend in a three-game series at Westmont's Russ Carr Field. The Friday game is scheduled to begin at three o'clock with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon.