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Westmont College Athletics

Grant Gardner (By Brad Elliott)
Brad Elliott
Grant Gardner (By Brad Elliott)
7
Winner Westmont WC 32-10, 19-10 GSAC
6
Arizona Christian ACU 36-16, 20-9 GSAC
Winner
Westmont WC
32-10, 19-10 GSAC
7
Final
6
Arizona Christian ACU
36-16, 20-9 GSAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Westmont WC 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 2 0 7 11 2
Arizona Christian ACU 3 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 6 9 3

W: Gardner, Grant (9-2) L: CARBONE, River (0-2) S: McLain, Kody (5)

7
Westmont WC 37-16, 19-11 GSAC
8
Winner Arizona Christian ACU 32-11, 21-9 GSAC
Westmont WC
37-16, 19-11 GSAC
7
Final
8
Arizona Christian ACU
32-11, 21-9 GSAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Westmont WC 0 0 0 3 4 0 0 0 7 8 0
Arizona Christian ACU 1 1 3 1 1 0 0 1 8 16 1

W: ASTA, Matt (3-0) L: Sim, Andrew (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Warriors Split with Firestorm

By Ron Smith
April 24, 2019
 
(PHOENIX) On the first day of the final series of the regular season, Westmont (32-11, 19-11 GSAC) and Arizona Christian (37-16, 21-9) split a doubleheader with both games decided by one run. In game one, the Warriors triumphed 7-6 and the Firestorm won the second game 8-7 in the eighth inning. In both games, the Warriors rallied from a 5-0 deficit to take the lead.
 
In the early game, Arizona Christian jumped out to a 5-0 lead with three runs in the first, one in the second and one in the third. Westmont got on the board with a single run in the top of the fifth when Nick Sablock drove a single up the middle that allowed Paul Mezurashi to score from second base. However, the Firestorm would take the run back in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 6-1 ballgame.
 
In the top of the sixth, Westmont put up a four spot to pull within one. With one away, Alex Stufft singled up the middle, then advanced to second when Taylor Garcia walked. Tyler Roper then flied out to left field, which allowed Stufft to tag up and reach third.
 
A walk to Luke Coffey loaded the bases for Bryce Morison who picked up an RBI the painful way by getting hit by a pitch. Sablock then cleared the bases with a three-RBI double down the left field line, making the score 6-5 in favor of the home Firebirds.
 
There would be no more scoring until the top of the eighth inning. Roper reached on a fielding error to lead off the inning and gave way on the base pads to Mezurashi as a courtesy runner. After Coffey moved Mezurashi over to second with a sacrifice bunt, Morison blasted a game-winning home run to left field.
 
Grant Gardner was awarded the win, his ninth of the year against two loses. Gardner pitched seven innings allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits. He neither struck out nor walked a batter. Kody McLain pitched the eighth and ninth innings, retiring all six batters he faced, three on strikeouts. McLain picked up his fifth save of the season.
 
Just as in the first game, Arizona Christian produced a 5-0 lead in the first three innings of the second game. In the top of the fourth, a three-run home run by Isaiah Leach pulled the Warriors to within two.
 
The Firestorm added a run in the bottom of the fourth to go up 6-3 when Ty Isbell scored from third while the Warriors were executing a double play.
 
In the top of the fifth, Westmont scored four times to take a 7-6 lead. Garcia led off the inning with a double down the right field line then advanced to third on a failed pick-off attempt. An infield single by Coffey scored Garcia to make the score 6-4.
 
Sablock was hit by a pitch, advancing Coffey to second before Mezurashi pinch ran for Sablock. Leach, then, tripled down the right field line, driving in Coffey and Mezurashi to tie the score at six. Taylor Bush followed with a single up the middle to drive in Leach and give Westmont a 7-6 advantage.
 
In the bottom half of the inning, Arizona Christian knotted up the score when Cohen Heckethorn doubled down the right field line to drive in Justen Burkey from second. The Firestorm won the game on a walk-off double by Brent Smith that scored Bryan Levine from second.
 
Andrew Sim was charged with the loss, his first of the year. In 1 1/3 third innings, he gave up one run on two hits.
 
In other GSAC action, William Jessup (32-10, 22-8) took a pair of games from Vanguard (31-18, 17-13), defeating the Lions 8-7 and 2-1. The Master's (31-14-1, 19-11) also won both of their games, defeating Ottawa (2-44, 1-29) 12-5 and 10-1.
 
Headed into the final day of the regular season tomorrow, William Jessup sits in first place, one game ahead of Arizona Christian. One game farther back is Hope International in third. Westmont and The Master's are tied for fourth place, one game behind Hope International. Vanguard is in sixth place, two games farther back.
 
William Jessup, Arizona Christian, Hope International and The Master's have secured berths in next week's GSAC Tournament. Westmont can clinch a playoff berth by winning either of its games tomorrow or if Vanguard loses one game.
 
Vanguard can only qualify for the GSAC Tournament if the Lions beat William Jessup twice, Westmont loses both of its games and The Master's wins at least one of its games. In that scenario, Westmont will not qualify for the GSAC Tournament.

Depending on tomorrow's results, Westmont can finish anywhere from tied for second and the number two seed, to tied for fifth and out of the GSAC Tournament.
 
Here are the possible playoff scenarios, taken from Westmont's point of view:
  • If WC wins both games...
    • ... and if TMU wins both of its games
      • Then, WJU will be the GSAC Champion and there will be a four-way tie for second between ACU, HIU, TMU and WC. The seeding will be as follows:
        • #1 WJU
        • #2 WC
        • #3 TMU
        • #4 HIU
        • #5 ACU
    • ... or if TMU loses at least one game:
      • Then, WJU will be the GSAC Champion and there will be a three-way tie for second between ACU, HIU and WC. The seeding will be as follows:
        • #1 WJU
        • #2 HIU
        • #3 WC
        • #4 ACU
        • #5 TMU
  • If WC wins one game and losses one game:
    • ... and if TMU wins both of its games.
      • ... and if WJU wins at least one game:
        • Then WJU will be the GSAC Champion and the seeding will be as follows:
          • #1 WJU
          • #2 ACU
          • #3 TMU
          • #4 HIU
          • #5 WC
      • ... and if WJU losses both games:
        • Then WJU and ACU will be co-GSAC Champions and the seeding will be as follows:
          • #1 ACU
          • #2 WJU
          • #3 TMU
          • #4 HIU
          • #5 WC
    • ... and if TMU wins one game and loses one game
      • ... and if WJU wins at least one game:
        • Then WJU will be the GSAC Champion and the seeding will be as follows:
          • #1 WJU
          • #2 ACU
          • #3 HIU
          • #4 WC
          • #5 TMU
      • ... and if WJU loses both games:
        • Then WJU and ACU will be co-GSAC Champions and the seeding will be as follows:
          • #1 ACU
          • #2 WJU
          • #3 HIU
          • #4 WC
          • #5 TMU
    • ... and if TMU loses both of its games:
      • ...and if WJU wins at least one game
        • Then WJU will be the GSAC Champion and the seeding will be as follows:
          • #1 WJU
          • #2 ACU
          • #3 HIU
          • #4 WC
          • #5 TMU
      • and if WJU loses both games:
        • Then WJU and ACU will be co-GSAC Champions and the seeding will be as follows:
          • #1 ACU
          • #2 WJU
          • #3 HIU
          • #4 WC
          • #5 TMU
  • If WC losses both games
    • ... and if TMU wins both games
      • ... and if WJU wins both game:
        • Then WJU will be the GSAC Champion and the seeding will be as follows:
          • #1 WJU
          • #2 ACU
          • #3 TMU
          • #4 HIU
          • #5 WC
      • ... and if WJU wins one game and loses one game:
        • Then WJU and ACU will be co-GSAC Champion and the seeding will be as follows:
          • #1 ACU
          • #2 WJU
          • #3 TMU
          • #4 HIU
          • #5 WC
      • ... and if WJU loses both games:
        • Then ACU will be the GSAC Champion and the seeding will be as follows:
          • #1 ACU
          • #2 WJU
          • #3 TMU
          • #4 HIU
          • #5 VU
    • ... and if TMU wins one game and loses one game:
      • ... and if WJU wins both game:
        • Then WJU will be the GSAC Champion and the seeding will be as follows:
          • #1 WJU
          • #2 ACU
          • #3 HIU
          • #4 TMU
          • #5 WC
      • ... and if WJU wins one game and loses one game:
        • Then WJU and ACU will be co-GSAC Champion and the seeding will be as follows:
          • #1 ACU
          • #2 WJU
          • #3 HIU
          • #4 TMU
          • #5 WC
      • ... and if WJU loses both games:
        • Then ACU will be the GSAC Champion and the seeding will be as follows:
          • #1 ACU
          • #2 WJU
          • #3 HIU
          • #4 TMU
          • #5 VU
    • ... and if TMU loses both games:
      • ... and if WJU wins both game:
        • Then WJU will be the GSAC Champion and the seeding will be as follows:
          • #1 WJU
          • #2 ACU
          • #3 HIU
          • #4 WC
          • #5 TMU
      • and if WJU wins one game and loses one game:
        • Then WJU and ACU will be co-GSAC Champion and the seeding will be as follows:
          • #1 ACU
          • #2 WJU
          • #3 HIU
          • #4 WC
          • #5 TMU
      • and if WJU loses both games:
        • Then ACU will be the GSAC Champion and the seeding will be as follows:
          • #1 ACU
          • #2 WJU
          • #3 HIU
          • #4 WC
          • #5 TMU
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