Box Score
By
Ron Smith
Zach DeMarcus picked up his fourth win of the year as #7 Westmont Baseball (31-7, 17-4 GSAC) defeated William Jessup (3-27, 3-18) by a score of11-5 to complete a three-game Golden State Athletic Conference sweep. The game, originally scheduled for Saturday, had been postponed due to inclement weather.
DeMarcus (4-0) pitched five innings for the Warriors, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits. He struck out three and did not surrender a walk. Alex Bush was awarded a save after pitching the final four innings. Bush, who also served as the designated hitter for the first five innings, allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits, struck out six and walked one.
Westmont took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI-double by Jarrett Costa. The senior catcher's two-out drive to left field drove in Bush who had reached on a single to right.
Westmont added three more runs in the top of the second after Turner Conrad led off the inning with an infield single. Conrad was retired on ground ball to second by Michael Valentin, Jr. Austin McGilvra then reached on an error that moved Valentin to second.
Michael Stefanic drove in Valentine for the first run of the inning with a single through the left side of the infield and moved McGilvra to second. Michael Frigon reached on a fielder's choice that saw Stefanic retired and McGilvra reach third. Bush then doubled to right to drive in both Stefanic and McGilvra and give the Warriors a 4-0 lead.
Jessup got on the board in the bottom of the third when Steven Stockton hit into a bases-loaded double play that allowed Joshua Duitsman to score from third.
Westmont restored its four-run margin in the top of the fourth when Stefanic singled up the middle to drive in McGilvra from second base. McGilvra had reached by a prior single up the middle and then stole second base.
Westmont took at 6-1 lead in the top of the fifth when Derek Rodigo produced a lead-off walk, reached second on a ground out and then scored on a throwing error that saw Conrad reach first safely.
Jessup made it interesting with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to move within three. Lead-off hitter Dayton Kurian benefited from a Warrior error and then scored when Zach Sween doubled to left field. Sween, who had taken third on the throw to the plate, later scored on a ground out by Stockton.
Westmont tool a 7-3 lead when Frigon turned a one-out walk into a run. Frigon stole second and reached third on a throwing error. Bush picked up Frigon and his third RBI with a sacrifice fly to right.
In the top of the seventh, Westmont extended its lead to 8-3. Rodigo reached on an error and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Graylin Derke walked and both batters moved up on another wild pitch. Conrad then delivered a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in Rodigo.
The Warriors added three more runs in the eighth inning after Bush doubled to right field with one away for his third hit of the game. Costa reached on a throwing error that saw Bush move to third. Taylor Bush, who replaced Costa at first as a courtesy runner, stole second to put two Warriors in scoring position. One out later, Derke pounded a ball that cleared the center field fence for a three-run home run.
Jessup added two runs in the bottom of the ninth to account for the final score.
With nine games left in the regular season, Westmont sits atop the GSAC standings, one game ahead of #13 Vanguard (30-9-1, 16-5). The Master's (25-14, 14-10) is in third, four and one-half games back and Biola (23-19, 12-9) is in fourth, five games behind the Warriors.
Westmont will host a three-game conference series with Hope International beginning on Friday. Before those games, however, the Warriors will host Providence Christian (6-33) in a non-conference affair on Tuesday at three o'clock.
