Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 By Jacob Norling
March 19, 2021
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) (RV) Westmont (16-11, 9-5 GSAC) fell out of the top-25 NAIA rankings on Wednesday, but roared back on Friday to take a pair of games against #4 Vanguard (23-5,, 11-3) to start a pivotal Golden State Athletic Conference weekend series.
 
Coming into Friday, no opponent had beaten Vanguard on two occasions, nor had Vanguard dropped consecutive games. Westmont changed that with a pair of come-from-behind wins, 6-4 in game one and 10-4 in game two.
 
"Our guys came into this weekend knowing the importance of this series and the caliber of the team we're going to play," said Westmont head coach Robert Ruiz. "They knew we had to be locked in and competing in every inning, on every pitch, to hang with these guys."
 
Westmont got their first jolt of adrenaline in the top of the second inning of game one. Vanguard struck first, scoring three and bringing Aki Buckson to the plate with two on and two out. Buckson launched a ball to straight-away center, sending Westmont center fielder Drew Bayard back to the 375 sign. Vanguard's bench waited to erupt upon the possibility of doubling their lead, but it was Westmont's dugout that ultimately hopped the railing in celebration. Because Drew Bayard leaped with his glove well over the wall and came down having robbed a three-run home run.
 
"Drew's been making big plays for us all year so I wasn't surprised, but I was excited," quipped Coach Ruiz. "It goes beyond words to talk about the impact that catch had on our day. It was a moment where we needed a senior to make a big play to keep us in the game and he delivered."
 
Westmont clawed their way back from a 4-1 deficit to finally tie things up in the bottom of the seventh inning, when redshirt junior Daniel Netz hit his first career Russ Carr homerun. Netz, who has been a mainstay in the Westmont lineup for three years now, has been playfully teased by his teammates at times for his inability to hit for power at home. Fortunately for Westmont, Netz picked the right time to put an end to the narrative, tying the game at 4 with a solo shot to left.
 
Westmont took their first lead of the day later in the seventh, when Alex Stufft picked up his team-leading 30th RBI of the season, bringing in Brady Renck with a groundout to short. Simon Reid then doubled to score John Jensen, and the Westmont bullpen nailed things down in game one to seal the victory, 6-4.
 
Carlos Moreno earned the victory in relief, going 1 1/3 hitless innings before passing the baton to Robbie Haw in the ninth. Haw recorded his second strikeout of the day to end the game, and in doing so picked up his second save of the year.
 
 
In game two, Westmont struggled to get much going against Vanguard starter Michael Kashou, who held the Warriors to one run as the game entered the fifth inning. In the abbreviated seven-inning game, tensions ran high as the Warriors were down to their final nine outs.
 
With Westmont trailing 4-1, the club loaded the bases with one out for Reid. On a 1-1 pitch, Simon unloaded on a hanging breaking ball and launched a game-changing grand slam to straight-away right, giving Westmont a 5-4 lead they would not revoke.
 
An emotional Reid sent the Warrior dugout into a frenzy, following the biggest hit of Westmont's season. Reid finished the day with a career-high 6 RBIs.
 
"It's hard to put words on the value of that at bat for Simon, for a lot of reasons," said Ruiz. "I'm just super proud of Simon for his ability to give his team everything he had. I thought he was as good today as he's been all year and I thought our guys used that momentum and didn't look back."
 
Westmont added on five more runs in the fifth and six innings, giving Jamie Kruger plenty of room to breathe out of the bullpen.
 
Kruger picked up the victory in relief, hurling three innings and surrendering only one run, following Will Anderson who went four innings and allowed just three runs to score.
 
Kruger recorded his third strikeout to end the day for Westmont, and the club gathered on the mound for their most exuberant exchange of high-fives in 2021, thus far.
 
"Baseball is a streaky game," said Ruiz. "There were times when we got things going and times when we didn't, but I thought we competed the whole day from start to finish. I thought our guys just continued to have each other's backs and pick each other up, and overall it was good team sweep today."
 
Westmont and Vanguard go at it again tomorrow with another doubleheader starting at 11:00 AM. Spectators will not be permitted due to state and local mandates, but fans can follow along live with broadcasts available on the Westmont athletics website.