By Tim Heiduk
May 14, 2019
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) With Westmont's season on the line, Grant Gardner and Justin Sanders each pitched complete games to lead the Warriors to two elimination game victories in the NAIA Opening Round, first a 7-3 win over Jamestown (N.D.), followed by a 9-0 result against Arizona Christian.
 
"We obviously had two pitchers today that really stepped up and carried our team through this day, which is huge when you fall into the losers' bracket right out of the gate and you've got to go win five straight on your home field," said Westmont head coach Robert Ruiz. "You need to preserve your bullpen, you need to preserve your arms. To get two guys in our rotation to give us complete games, you couldn't ask for anything more."
 
Westmont's morning game against Jamestown was eerily similar to its loss against Antelope Valley on Monday, as the Warriors faced a 2-0 deficit after two innings and trailed for most of the game before tying it up in the eighth inning. Westmont, who because of tournament rules was the away team despite playing on its home field, made sure the story ended differently this time.
 
The Warriors scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to win 7-3 and stay alive in the Santa Barbara Bracket. With the loss, Jamestown was the first team eliminated from the tournament.
 
Grant Gardner gave up three runs (one earned) in his nine innings of work, which only required 102 pitches.
 
"He carried our team today to that victory, I can't say enough about it," said Ruiz on Gardner. "I'm incredibly proud of his perseverance and his fight and his determination. We were behind for 90% of that game. He had every reason to kind of lay down and quit, but that's not the type of guy he is."
 
Going into the ninth inning tied 3-3, the Warriors had already stranded the bases loaded twice. They made sure to not do that again with their season on the line.
 
In the top of the ninth, Bryce Morison led off with a walk, before Nicky Sablock hit a grounder to second, which was misplayed by the second baseman, putting runners on first and second. Isaiah Leach then laid a perfectly placed bunt down the third-base line, reaching on a single and loading the bases. Taylor Bush singled up the middle on the first pitch he saw to put the Warriors ahead 4-3. Travis Vander Molen also added an RBI-single to right field, before Tyler Roper walked to score another run. Vander Molen then scored on a passed ball to give the Warriors four runs in the inning.
 
"We executed a little better," said Ruiz on his team's offense in the ninth inning. "We found a way to put some good at-bats together there late in that game and took advantage of the miscues on their side and came out on top. It was a great job with our guys just staying focused and determined and giving us a chance to keep playing."
 
Westmont's offense was slow out of the gates though, as the Warriors were unable to get on the board until the top of the fourth inning, when Sablock hit a towering solo home run to right center field. In the top of the fifth, Westmont tied it up 2-2 with four straight two-out walks. Luke Coffey, Morison, and Sablock all walked to load the bases, before Leach drew a full-count walk to bring home Coffey. Jimmies' starter Tanner Roundy then got Bush to strike out looking to strand the bases loaded.
 
Jamestown restored its lead in the bottom of the fifth on a Zach Zurbrugg single to left field that scored Grant Okawa, who led off with a double. The Jimmies seemed to add a fourth run in the same half inning, when Jaden Yackley laid down a bunt. An errant throw to first base would have scored Zurbrugg from second, but a controversial call ruled Yackley out at first on runner's interference and forced Zurbrugg to return to second base, keeping the Warriors within one.
 
In the top of the eighth, Vander Molen tied the game at 3-3 with a triple to left center field, knocking in Drew Bayard who worked a one-out walk as a pinch hitter.
 
Vander Molen, who came off the bench to replace Alex Stufft at first base in the sixth inning, was only making his second appearance since missing a month with an injury and provided not only the game-tying RBI-triple, but an RBI-single in the Warriors' four-run ninth.
 
"He hasn't had live at-bats in the last three or four weeks, so to come out and play the way he's playing is a testament to his work ethic and preparation, everything he's been doing to get ready for this tournament," said Ruiz. "He just got cleared a couple days ago. As his coach, I'm excited for him and I'm sure his team appreciates everything he poured in getting ready for today."
 
Westmont's offense stayed hot going into its second game of the day, this one against Golden State Athletic Conference rival Arizona Christian, where the Warriors were once again the visiting team. Westmont hit three home runs in the victory, including two in a five-run second inning against Firestorm starter Matt Asta, who entered the game having not given up a run in 11 innings pitched on the season.
 
Bayard hit a three-run home run, his second of the Opening Round, before Morison hit a two-run shot for his 12^th of the season, extending the Warriors lead to 5-0 and breaking the single-season Westmont total bases record in the process. After recording two singles later in the game, Morison now has 135 total bases on the season, breaking the previous record of 130.
 
Roper's RBI-single put the Warriors up 6-0 in the top of the fourth, scoring Taylor Garcia who led off the inning with a double. Morison added another RBI with a two-out single in the top of the sixth to make the score 7-0. Bush hit the third Warriors' home run of the game in the top of the seventh, a two-run shot that extended the Warriors' lead to 9-0.
 
Those nine runs were more than enough for All-GSAC starter Sanders, who pitched a two-hit shutout, only needing 100 pitches to eliminate the Firestorm.
 
"That's the best I've seen Justin all year by far," said Ruiz. "Sometimes in big games guys step up and show you what they're capable of. He's been good for us all year."
 
"He knew what his team needed from him to give us a chance and he gave us every bit of it," added Ruiz.  "Sanders was landing everything for a strike and when he's doing that, he's tough to hit."
 
After two games as the visiting team on its own field, Westmont returns tomorrow morning at 11:00 am as the home team against Antelope Valley, the team that beat the Warriors on Monday.
 
"At the end of the day, whether it's Antelope Valley, or USAO, or anybody else, I think our goal is just get out there and play good baseball," said Ruiz. "I think for us the biggest thing is just learning from today, seeing how we can play our brand of baseball and what that's going to do in a tournament. Take a little bit of confidence and a little bit of motivation out of today's doubleheader sweep and come in tomorrow hopefully a little more confident, a little more relaxed, and ready to play the game the right way in all three facets. I think if we can do that, we're going to give ourselves a good chance."
 
The winner between Westmont and Antelope Valley will advance to take on top-seeded Science and Arts (Okla.) at a scheduled start time of 2:30 pm tomorrow afternoon. If the Warriors or Pioneers win that game, then there will be a winner-take-all game on Thursday at 12:00 pm, with the winner advancing to the NAIA World Series. Otherwise, Science and Arts will be crowned Santa Barbara Bracket champions and book its ticket to Lewiston, Idaho.