Box Score

By Ron Smith
February 20, 2017
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) The long ball proved to be #8 Westmont Baseball's (6-1) undoing as the Warriors surrendered three multi-run home runs in a 9-7 loss to the Thunderbirds of British Columbia (10-1).
 
Stephen Larson was charged with the loss after giving up three runs on four hits in the seventh inning. Westmont's Grant Gardner started the game for the Warriors and went five innings. Gardner gave up three runs (one earned) on five hits. He struck out eight and walked one.
 
Westmont jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Third baseman Luke Coffey led off with a single to right field before first baseman Travis Vander Molen was hit by a pitch. A ground ball by catcher Clarke Bader resulted in Vander Molen being retired at second, runners on the corners and one away.
 
One out later, with Taylor Bush serving as a courtesy runner for Bader, left fielder Michael Frigon was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Center fielder Connor McManigal then stepped to the plate and delivered a two-RBI single that bounded over the first baseman's head and down the right field line. Bush and Vander Molen scored on the play and Frigon advanced to third.
 
A wild pitch allowed Frigon to score the Warriors' third run and McManigal to advance to second. After a walk to designated hitter Matt Matlock put Warriors on first and second, second baseman Michael Stefanic's ground ball to short allowed McManigal to reach third.
 
Right fielder Derek Rodigo picked up an RBI when he singled up the middle allowing McManigal to score.
 
In the top of the third, British Columbia pulled to within two runs on a three-run home run to right-center field by third baseman.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Westmont added two runs on a two-run home run by Vander Molen. Coffey, who had singled up the middle to lead off the inning, scored on the play. putting the Warriors ahead 7-3.
 
The bomb by Vander Molen drove Thunderbirds' starter Tyler Gillies from the game in favor of Aidan Goodall. Westmont threatened further damage when singles by pinch hitter Shane Soria and shortstop Austin McGilvra were followed by a walk to Frigon to load the bases with no outs.
 
Goodall was removed from the game to bring in Patrick van den Brink who struck out McManigal and Matlock and coxed Stefanic into an inning-ending ground out to third.
 
In the top of the sixth, with Sean Coynes on the mound for the Warriors, first baseman Vinny Martin produced a two-run home run that scored second baseman Anthony Olson.
 
The Thunderbirds tied the game in the top half of the seventh inning on a two-run home run by catcher Mackenzie Parlow. British Columbia then scored what turned out to be the winning run on an infield single by shortstop Kyle McComb.
 
British Columbia added another run in the top of the eighth on an RBI-single to right filed by Robinson.
 
Van den Brink was awarded the win for the Thunderbirds, his second of the season. Liam Stroud, who pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth inning, was earned the save.
 
The game, which lasted three hours and seven minutes, was called complete by home plate umpire Carlos Trujillo after the bottom of the eighth due to fog.
 
The Warriors will return to Russ Car Field for four more games this week.
 
Thursday, Westmont will host Menlo in a rain make-up game at 2:00 p.m. Because the game was originally scheduled to be played in Atherton, the Warriors will be the visiting team and Menlo the home team.
 
On Friday and Saturday, Westmont will play a three-game series against Biola. Friday's game will begin at 2:00 p.m. First pitch for Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.