Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
By Bradford Sargent
April 28, 2017
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont (27-20, 12-15 GSAC) split a doubleheader against Menlo College (33-16, 17-11 GSAC) on Friday.  Westmont won the first game 9-2 and lost the second game 4-1.  The 4-1 loss ends Westmont's drive to the GSAC playoffs.  The last time Westmont missed the conference playoffs was in 2013. 
 
In the first game, Daniel Butler picked up his ninth win of the season in a dominate seven-inning performance.  With the complete-game win, Daniel surpassed Russell Harmening as the winningest pitcher in the history of Westmont baseball.  The senior from Lone Tree, Colorado has a collegiate record of 29 wins and 5 losses.  Not one to stumble unsteadily into the record books, Daniel struck out six batters and gave up only two runs through seven innings pitched.  The athletics department will post an in-depth review of Daniel's career once the season has concluded.  
 
Derek Rodigo was the first Warrior to cross the plate.  After a wild pitch from Jason Alexander, Rodigo hustled from third base to just beat the catcher's throw.  The Warriors never trailed in a game that was replete with power hitting.  Clarke Bader hit a three-run homer in the sixth to give Westmont a 6-2 lead.  Matt Matlock hit a two-run shot over the fence in the seventh which extended Westmont's lead to six runs.  The next Warrior up to bat was Travis Vander Molen who hit Westmont's third home run of the game.  Though Menlo was officially the home team in the first game, the group looked far from home.  Third baseman Luke Coffey made a leaping catch to end what was a great overall performance from the Warriors.    
 
Menlo pitcher Brett Solano, who never left the mound, shined in the second game.  Michael Stefanic and Michael Frigon each doubled for Westmont, but the rest of the Warriors lacked for power.  Pitcher Stephen Larson took the mound in the eighth inning and prevented Menlo from adding to its 4-1 lead.  Larson is one of 11 seniors who will be honored during Westmont's final homestand of the season.  The Warriors will take Russ Carr Field two more times in 2017.  Westmont's doubleheader against Menlo College begins Saturday at 11:00 AM.