By Ron Smith
February 16, 2020
 
(ROCKLIN, Calif.) A doubleheader split on Saturday gave #15 Westmont (8-6, 3-1 GSAC) a 3-1 Golden State Athletic Conference series win against #14 William Jessup (12-6, 1-3). The Warriors took the first game 8-4 before dropping the second 3-1.
 
Starting pitcher Justin Sanders was credited with the win in the first game, improving his record to 3-0. Sanders allowed two runs on four hits in six innings of work. He struck out seven and walked four.
 
Bailey Reid picked up his second save of the year after entering the game in the bottom of the ninth with the bases load.
 
Jessup went ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by Mike Shoenberg that drove in Kaiwaiola Takemura.
 
The Warriors responded, however, in the top of the second inning. With one away, Daniel Netz walked and then advanced to second on an infield single by Matthew Shults. With Paul Mezurashi serving as a courtesy runner at first, Alex Stufft singled through the left side to load the bases. Brady Renck then delivered an RBI single to right, driving in Netz.
 
In the top of the third, Westmont added four more runs after Travis Vander Molen reached on an error to lead off the inning. Drew Bayard followed with a double down the right field line that advanced Vander Molen from third.
 
One out later, the Warriors benefited by walks issued to the next four batters – Netz, Shults, Stufft and Renck. Taylor Garcia then delivered a sacrifice fly to center field to account for the fourth run of the inning.
 
Up 5-1 at the end of the third, Westmont added one more in the top of the fourth. Bayard led off and was hit by a pitch. One out later, Netz singled to center, moving Bayard over to second. Shults then walked to load the bases with one away.
 
A single to left by Stufft drove in Bayard. Then, Renck did the same to drive in Netz. Next, Garcia recorded his second sacrifice fly of the game, bringing home Mezurashi.
 
William Jessup would score a run in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the ninth before Westmont recorded the final out.
 
Jessup avoided the series sweep by winning the final game. All the scoring of the seven-inning game came in the third inning. In the top of the inning, Renck led off with a single up the middle and reached second on a sacrifice bunt by Garcia. When Devin Perez flied out to center field, Renck took third. After Vander Molen and Bayard were hit by pitches to fill the bags with Warriors, Renck scored on a wild pitch.
 
In the bottom of the third, however, Jessup's Kevin Jordan Jr. deposited a three-run home run over the left field fence to give the home team all the runs it would need.
 
Ryan Humphreys (0-3) took the loss for the Warriors, giving up three runs on three hits over five innings of work. He struck out eight and walked three.
 
The Warriors are back in action on Tuesday when they host the Mariners of Marymount in a non-conference game at Russ Carr Field beginning at two o'clock.