By Ron Smith
February 7, 2021
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) In the first doubleheader of the year, #13 Westmont Baseball (1-3) came up on the short end of both games with #19 Benedictine (Ariz.). The Redhawks took the first game 9-2 and the second 6-5.
 
In the early game, Benedictine took advantage of a leadoff double by Josh Hernandez in the top off the second to go in front 1-0. However, Thomas Rudinsky evened the score for the Warriors in the bottom of the second with a leadoff home run.
 
The Redhawks retook the lead in the top of the third when Michael Garverick singled up the middle with two away to drive in Jeremy Williams from second. In the fifth, Hernandez drove in Travis Hunt with a single. In the seventh, Hunt scored on a bases-loaded walk to make the score 4-1. Mike Avilucea and Garverick both homered in the eighth to account for an additional five runs.
 
Westmont's second run came in the bottom half of the eighth. John Jensen led off with a double to right and later took third on a ground ball by Simon Reid. Drew Bayard's single through the right side brought Jensen  home.
 
Sophomore pitcher Gabe Arteaga took the loss in his first collegiate start. He gave up two runs on four hits, walking two and striking out two.
 
In the second game, Westmont jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning. Josh Rego led off the inning with a home run to make the score 1-0. After Rudinsky reached on a single and took second on a Redhawks error, he was replaced by courtesy runner Paul Mezurashi. Mezurashi then advanced to third when Brady Renck flied out to right field.
 
One out later, Robbie Haw doubled to left center, driving in Mezurashi for the second run of the inning. Jensen followed with a double to left, scoring Haw to make it a 3-0 game. Then, Daniel Netz singled to second to drive in Jensen.
 
The Redhawks got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth on a bases-loaded walk to Williams with one away. A 6-4-3 double play (Haw to Renck to Rego) got the Warriors out of the inning without further damage. Alex Stufft got the run back with a towering solo home run to center field that made the score 5-1 in favor of the Warriors.
 
The top of the sixth, however, proved to be Westmont's undoing with five Redhawks crossing the plate. The first came when Daniel Duarte ground out to short while driving in Hunt from third. Garverick scored from third on an error on a pick-off attempt for the second run. The final three runs came on a home run by Casey Lederman.
 
Alex Blaszyk took the loss in relief. Ryan Humphreys started the game and went five and one-third innings. Humphreys gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits. He struck out six and walked four.
 
The Warriors return to action this week with a pair of doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday against the Red Hawks of Simpson. In accordance with state and local mandates, no spectators will be permitted to view the games in person. Fans can watch the games on the Westmont Sports Network at https://athletics.westmont.edu/video.