By Ron Smith
May 1, 2019
 
(IRVINE, Calif.) Westmont Baseball (34-14), ranked #22 in the NAIA, was knocked out of the Golden State Athletic Conference Championship with a 16-4 loss to The Master's (34-17-1) on Wednesday afternoon. The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak that the Warriors had enjoyed over the Mustangs.
 
The loss, however, did not mean an end to the Warriors' season. Moments after the game's first pitch, the nine host sites for the NAIA Baseball National Tournament Opening Rounds were announced, including Westmont's Russ Carr Field as the site for the Santa Barbara Bracket.
 
Each final site will host a five-team, double elimination tournament beginning on Monday, May 13. The four other teams that will participate in the Santa Barbara Bracket will be announced on Thursday, May 9. The winners of each of the Opening Round Tournaments will advance to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho beginning on Friday, May 24.
 
This is the fifth time in the last six years that the Warriors have qualified for an Opening Round Tournament berth. The Warriors last hosted an Opening Round Tournament in 2016.
 
In today's GSAC Tournament game, the Warriors found themselves down 8-0 before scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Four times in the innings, with runners on the corners, Warrior batters delivered an RBI-single. The first by Nicky Sablock, followed by Andrew Bayard, Luke Coffey and Taylor Bush.
 
Unfortunately, those were the only runs the Warriors would muster while the Mustangs would go on to score an additional eight unanswered runs.
 
With the loss, the Warriors return home to complete final exams and prepare to compete for an opportunity to advance to the World Series for the first time in program history.