By Zach DeMarcus
April 13, 2018
 
(ATHERTON, Calif.) Westmont Baseball (27-14, 20-11 GSAC) used three home runs, including a grand slam from junior Taylor Bush, to put down the Oaks of Menlo (15-25, 11-20 GSAC) by a score of 9-5.
 
Grant Gardner (7-2) picked up the win as he threw six and two thirds innings. He would go on to give up five runs on five hits while striking out six and walking five.
 
Westmont started the game by scoring one run in each of their first three offensive frames. In the first, Taylor Garcia led off the game with a walk. Tyler Roper sacrificed him over to second with a bunt to the third baseman. Michael Stefanic followed with an RBI-double to finish the manufactured run. This was Stefanic's 47th career double as a Warrior – surpassing previous record holders in Jordan Bottenfield and Tim Kimmel for the most doubles all time.
 
In the top of the second, Bush and Bryce Morison led off the inning with back-to-back walks. Travis Vander Molen bunted Bush and Morison over with a sacrifice bunt. Bush was thrown out at home via a fielder's choice off the bat of Garcia. With two outs, Roper hit an RBI-single to bring in Morison for the second run of the game.
 
John Velasco hit a leadoff double to left field in the bottom of the second for the Oaks. He advanced to third on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, Mason Allen hit an RBI-single to left field to bring in Velasco.
 
Westmont added their third run of the game in the top of the third. With one out, Luke Coffey hit a 3-1 pitch over the left field fence for his seventh home run of the season. This brought the score to 3-1 in favor of the Warriors.
 
Menlo responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Allen drew a walk – William Tipton pinch ran for Allen. Dalton Maxwell followed with a walk. Justin Bruce continued the two-out rally with an RBI-single to score Tipton and bring the Oaks within one through four innings of play.
 
Both teams exchanged zeros until the top of the seventh. Stefanic reached on an error by the shortstop to lead off the inning. Coffey was then hit by a pitch. Stefanic was picked off at second base for the first out of the inning. Brody Weiss reached first and pushed Coffey to second as he was hit by a pitch – Dante Poleselli came on to pinch run for Coffey.
 
Henry Hedeen singled to right field to load the bases – bringing up Bush. Bush stepped up to the plate and hammered the first pitch he saw over the left field fence for a grand slam. Morison continued the rally with a single to center field. Morison stole second base as Vander Molen struck out for the second out of the inning. Garcia followed with a two-out RBI-single to bring in Morison for the fifth Warrior run of the inning – extending their lead to 8-2.
 
The Oaks put up a fight in the bottom of the seventh. In a nine-pitch at-bat, Justin Bruce drew a leadoff walk. Gardner struck out the next Menlo batter. Bruce advanced to second on a wild pitch. Gardner followed with another strikeout for the second out of the inning. Nick Adgar hit a two-out RBI-double to right field to score Bruce. Joe Gillete then drew a walk.
 
Left-hander Bay Buckley came in to relieve Gardner with two out and runners on first and second. Velasco tripled to right field to score Gilette and Adgar. Buckley settled in and enticed Justin Wallis to pop up to first base to end the inning.
 
Stefanic hit a leadoff home run over the left field fence to start the top of the eighth – giving the Warriors another insurance run and extending their lead to 9-5.
 
Cory Dawson threw the bottom of the eighth for the Warriors. He gave up zero runs on two hits and struck out one in his inning of work.
 
Lance Simpson came in to finish the game for Westmont. He induced a fly out and two strikeouts to finish a clean ninth and seal the 9-5 victory for the Warriors.
 
The Warriors and the Oaks return to the field tomorrow to finish their three-game Golden State Athletic Conference series with a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.