By Ron Smith
February 7, 2020
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont Baseball (4-3) swept a double header with #13 Oklahoma Wesleyan on Friday at Russ Carr Field. The 15th-ranked Warriors shutout the Eagles 5-0 in the first game, then prevailed 6-5 in extra innings in the second.
 
Cory Dawson (2-0) turned in a spectacular performance on the mound in the early game, striking out 14 batters in eight innings while allowing just four hits and refusing to surrender a walk.
 
The only jam Dawson faced was in the seventh inning. After giving up back-to-back singles with one out, Dawson fielded a chopper back to the mound that advanced the runners to second and third but also recorded the second out of the inning. He then coaxed Emilio Escobedo to ground out to third to end the threat.
 
The Warriors broke out in the fourth inning when Drew Bayard followed a double by Isaiah Leach with a home run over the right field fence.
 
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Warriors doubled their advantage. Brady Renck produced a lead-off single, then reached second when Simon Reid waited out a walk. With Paul Mezurashi serving as a courtesy runner at first, Taylor Garcia singled to load the bases with no outs.
 
Daniel Netz delivered a sacrifice fly to deep center that allowed Renck to score and Mezurashi to take third. After Garcia was caught stealing for the second out of the inning Travis Vander Molen doubled to drive in Mezurashi.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Leach homered to left to add an insurance run to the Warriors' totals.
 
Though not a save situation, Bailey Reid took the hill in the top of the ninth. He gave up a single to the second batter he faced but struck out the other three, bringing the Warriors' strikeout total to 17 for the game.
 
The nine-inning game lasted just one hour and 57 minutes.
 
The second game was a different story as the Eagles jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and one-half. In the top of the first, Cody Muncy walked with one away, then reached home on a triple by Isaac Wersland. Wersland later scored on a wild pitch.
 
Josh Logan added to the Eagle's lead when he power a ball over the left-field fence for a solo home run in the top of the second.
 
In the bottom of the second, however, the Warriors evened the score at three apiece. A lead-off triple by Bayard was followed by a walk by Netz. Alex Stufft then reached on fielding error that allowed Netz to advance to third and Bayard to score. Netz then scored on a ground ball by Renck. Simon Reid followed with a solo home run.
 
The score of the seven-inning game remained tied until the top of the sixth when Muncy delivered a home run. Jesus Rojas doubled down the left field line with one away, bring up A'Darius Council. After Council was made out at first, a throwing error resulted in Rojas being awarded home plate and the Eagles jumping out to a two-run lead.
 
A lead-off double to Isaiah Leach in the bottom of the sixth led to Westmont pulling to within one. When Bayard grounded out to second, Leach took third. Zack Mendez then pinch hit and produced a single on which Leach scored.
 
Reid was walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning and was once again replaced at first by Mezurashi. A ground out to short by Garcia allowed Mezurashi to reach second but also meant the Warriors were down to their last out.
 
Devin Perez hit a ground ball to the right side of the infield that was mishandled by the first baseman. While Perez hustled down the line to reach first safely, Mezurashi scored from third to tie the game at five all and send the contest into extra innings.
 
In the top of the eighth, Nigel Smith singled with one away to give the Eagles something to work with. With Tucker Holden running for Smith, Wersland walked, putting Holden in scoring position with one away.
 
That's when Westmont's Dante Poleselli entered the game. He induced a ground ball from Rojas that could have ended the threat with a double play. However, the ball was mishandled, resulting in the bases loaded with no outs.
 
Unfazed, Poleselli struck out Council for the second out, then convinced Easton Elliott to hit a ground ball to third on which Rojas, and the side, were retired.
 
Bayard led off the Warriors' half of the eighth with a walk, then reached second on a well-placed sacrifice bunt down the third base line by Netz. Bayard stole third, however, Stufft struck out for the second out of the inning. Renck, the Warriors' freshman shortstop, stepped to the plate and hit a long, walk-off single to left field on which Bayard scored.
 
The Warriors bench emptied and caught up with Renck at second base, where he was mobbed in celebration.
 
Poleselli was credited with the win, improving his record to 1-1. Jameson Kruger started on the bump for the Warriors. He pitched five innings, allowing three runs on two hits. Kruger struck out three and walked three.
 
Will Anderson pitched the sixth and seventh innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits. He struck out two without issuing a walk. Anderson retired the side in order in the seventh.
 
Westmont returns to the diamond tomorrow to take on the Cougars of Indiana Kokomo (1-1) in a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m.