By Ron Smith
February 1, 2019
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont Baseball (2-0) started the 2019 season on the right foot, shutting out Corban of Oregon (0-6) in both games of a doubleheader. The Warriors took the first game 5-0 and won the second game 2-0.
 
Over 16 innings of play, five Westmont pitchers allowed just six hits and two walks while striking out 24 Corban batters.
 
"I am just really excited for the way our guys came out and attacked hitters today," said Westmont head coach Robert Ruiz of his pitching staff. "It is always interesting to see how your team performs in a real game. Obviously, their outcome was outstanding but it was really their demeanor and their tempo that stood out. It is a testament to the work Coach (Tony) Cougoule has been doing with those guys.
 
"Each of our pitchers executed more than one pitch. They each did a good job of having command of their pitchers, which made us able to set up hitters. It's a good start and we still have a long way to go, but I'm happy with the way they competed. They kept the walks down and continued to throw a lot of strikes."
 
Grant Gardner took the hill for the Warriors in the first game and threw a stellar seven innings. The senior right-hander faced 24 batters – three over the minimum – allowing just four hits. Gardner struck out eight without issuing a walk.
 
"I expect consistency out of Grant and I was happy to see the Grant I remember from each of his starts in previous seasons," said Ruiz.
 
After three scoreless innings by both teams, Westmont broke through in the bottom of the fourth. With one away, centerfielder Bryce Morison belted a doubled off the left-center field fence. A wild pitch advanced Morison to third base with third baseman Luke Coffey at the plate. Coffey fouled off several pitches before he found the one he liked and drove it into left field for a sacrifice fly and the first Warrior RBI of the season.
 
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of seventh inning. Catcher Tyler Roper was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and replaced on the base pads by courtesy runner Paul Mezurashi. The freshman from Hawaii advanced to second on a wild pitch before stealing third base.
 
Left fielder Daniel Netz was walked and stole second before first baseman Travis Vander Molen was walked to load the bases. Garcia ripped a ball down the left field line but the home plate umpire called the ball foul and sent the Warrior baserunners back to their respective bags.
 
Garcia drove the next pitch into center field and the sacrifice fly allowed Mezurashi to score from third to give Westmont a 2-0 lead.
 
In the top of the eighth, Kody McLain, a red-shirt freshman from Simi Valley, came into the game and collected a two-inning save. McLain faced six batters, striking out one.
 
"Kody came out and did very well on the mound in his first collegiate game," noted Ruiz.
 
The Warriors' remaining three runs were scored in the bottom of the eighth inning. Coffey reached on an error to start the inning and then took third when Westmont right fielder Isaiah Leach double to left center. Shortstop Taylor Bush drove in both runners with a screaming triple down the left field line. Two outs later, Bush scored on a single through the left side by pinch hitter Lucas Still.
 
Corban first baseman Zack Simon reached on a single down the right field line to lead off the top of the ninth and was replaced on the base pads by pinch runner Brendan Rodegerts. Any thought of a comeback was erased, however, when McLain picked Rodegerts off the bag at first for the first out of the inning.
 
In the second game, which was seven innings in length, three Warrior pitchers combined to allow just one hit. Cory Dawson retired the first nine batters he faced before issuing a walk to shortstop Daniel Freiburger in the top of the fourth. Dawson retired the next three batters in order to preserve a 0-0 score.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Coffey was the beneficiary of a one-out walk. Leach tripled down the right field line to drive in Coffey and then scored when Bush delivered a sacrifice fly to center field. The two runs would prove to be more than enough for a Warrior victory.
 
Dawson came back out on the mound to pitch the fifth inning. Corban's sole hit in the game came off the bat of Rodegerts with two outs, but the threat ended when Dawson coxed second baseman Tanner Marsh into a pop-up.
 
Dawson struck out 10 batters, and allowed just one hit and two walks in five innings of work.
 
"It may have been Dawson's second collegiate start," said Ruiz, "but he looked like he has been there for a long time."
 
Nolan Cannon entered the game in the top of the sixth and retired all three batters he faced, two on strikeouts. In the seventh, Bailey Reid took over mound duties and struck out the side in order to earn the second save of his collegiate career.
 
"Nolan and Bailey did what we think they are capable of," said Ruiz. "It was awesome to see."
 
The two teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader again on Saturday beginning at 11:00 a.m. However, with more than three inches of rain scheduled for Friday night and Saturday, the games are doubtful at best.
 
Next week, Westmont will continue the young season by welcoming British Columbia to Russ Carr Field for a four-game series that begins with a single game on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for two o'clock.