Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 By Jacob Norling
March 13, 2021
 
(ROCKLIN, Calif.) #13 Westmont (14-10, 7-5 GSAC) bounced back after getting swept by Hope International last weekend by taking three out of four games against William Jessup (13-9, 5-7), including two on Saturday.Westmont outlasted Jessup in 12 innings in game one, winning 7-6. In game two, Westmont rode stellar pitching to a 4-0 victory.
 
The clubs split the first two games of the series on Friday, setting the stage for a pivotal Saturday doubleheader with both clubs trying to stay above .500 in the ultra-competitive GSAC West standings.
 
In game one, Westmont went down early after starter Gabe Arteaga surrendered a pair of first inning runs. The club wasted no time getting those runs back however, as in the top of the second Alex Stufft and Devin Perez hit back-to-back home runs to knot things up.
 
Jessup responded with another couple runs in the ensuing half inning and Westmont was left trying to play catchup for the middle innings. In the sixth inning, Westmont took their first lead of the day when Ryan Desaegher followed a Stufft RBI single with a two-run double down the left field line to put the club up 5-4.
 
Just like in the second inning however, Jessup's lineup punched back scoring two more runs to put Westmont down 6-5 with only nine outs to play with. Fortunately for the Warriors, Stufft and Perez built another rally in the top half of the seventh, with Perez's second RBI of the day tying up the game at six. Perez's game-tying hit was a bittersweet moment for Westmont however, as on the play Simon Reid was thrown out at third base to end the inning, prematurely ending the clubs late rally. The bats would stay quiet for almost another five innings.
 
The reason Westmont was so fortunate to have five more chances following the seventh was a stellar performance from the bullpen, led by rising bullpen ace, Chase Goddard. Arteaga lasted only 2 1/3 innings, leaving with the bases loaded in the third and the club already down two. Luckily for Westmont, Carlos Moreno continued to shine in high leverage as the sophomore got out of the jam with a force out at home followed by a strikeout. Then Goddard took the stage in the fourth.
 
Goddard threw six innings in relief, striking out five while walking none, and surrendering only two runs to give Westmont a chance to get into extra innings. Goddard passed the baton to Jamie Kruger in the tenth who walked two batters on nine pitches, and it appeared for a moment that Westmont's luck might have ran out. Head Coach Robert Ruiz then opted for shortstop Robbie Haw to take the mound. Haw was able to utilize a double play off of a popped up bunt attempt, in which he doubled off the runner at second, and a strikeout to allow the game to continue.
 
Then, in the 12th inning, Drew Bayard finally broke the tie with a sac-fly to deep center field, bringing home run number seven for Westmont in the form of Haw. Haw then stranded a pair in the bottom of the 12th, recording his fifth strikeout in three innings to seal the victory for the ball club. In doing so, Haw also collected his first career win.
 
 
Coach Ruiz spoke highly of his bullpen, saying, "Chase has been doing such a phenomenal job for us this year. His future is very bright. We have counted on him in some big moments and he continues to get it done.
 
"And then Robbie, he came in to a very tough situation and was outstanding. His ability to get the bunt pop-up and double play was an absolute game changer. I thought that really shifted our momentum and let us keep it."
 
In game two, the story was Ryan Humphreys and his ability to hold the Jessup lineup in check for the entirety of the contest. Humphreys threw 123 pitches and tossed a complete game shutout to give Westmont the series victory three games to one. The sophomore southpaw tossed his second complete game of the season and collected his third win of the year as he scattered two hits across seven innings. Humphreys walked five, but struck out six and stranded seven Jessup baserunners to earn the complete game shutout.
 
The Westmont bats didn't exactly open the floodgates but they did enough scoring four runs and getting Humphreys a lead by the third inning. The Warriors utilized small ball to get home their first run in the third. Brady Renck led off with a single and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Haw then bunted Renck to third with one out, and John Jensen hit a groundball to the right side to score Renck and get the club on the board.
 
In the top of the fourth, Thomas Rudinksy unloaded on a ball to left field for his sixth home run of the year and third this week as he makes a bid for GSAC Player of the Week. Westmont got some much needed insurance in the six inning, picking up a pair of unearned runs, finally capitalizing on one of Jessup's four errors in game two. Rudinksy scored Westmont's third run on a throwing error, followed by Stufft collecting a team-high 28th RBI on a base hit to right scoring Drew Bayard to the club up 4-0.
 
Humphreys retired the side in order in the sixth and then labored in the seventh, with runners on second and third with two outs. With the potential tying run in the on deck circle still, Humphreys induced a game-ending groundball to Stufft at third base and the Warriors got to enjoy a happy ride back to Santa Barbara.
 
Coach Ruiz said, "I thought today was Humphreys best outing of the year. It was a bit of a pitcher's duel and he gave his team everything he could. He was tough on the mound and just battled all day, and I'm proud of him."
 
Westmont returns to action this coming Tuesday, as they'll host NCAA Div. II Azusa Pacific in the fifth match-up between the two this season. The sides have split the first four. In accordance with local and state mandates spectators will not be permitted to attend games in person. However, fans can tune in live at 2:30 PM to catch first pitch on the Westmont athletics website.