Long Ball Leads Westmont to Series Split
                                                                                                                
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
By Jacob Norling
March 31, 2021
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) (RV) Westmont (22-15, 15-9) split another pair of games with William Jessup (18-16, 9-11) on Wednesday to divide the series two games apiece. In game one Jessup came out swinging and won 9-5, and in game two Westmont broke out the home run ball and won the finale 8-2.
 
In game one Westmont threw their most reliable arms of the 2021 season, but Jessup came out swinging nonetheless.
 
Westmont freshman Chase Goddard got his first career start for the home Warriors after throwing more than 28 innings in relief, while posting a sub-three ERA. Goddard commanded his pitches in the strike zone, but could not miss many bats on Wednesday as Jessup tagged him for six earned runs on nine hits.
 
After Westmont spotted Goddard two runs to work with, the freshman allowed a run to come across with two outs in the fourth, which brought Kevin Gutierrez to the plate. With runners at second and third with two outs, Gutierrez flared a ball into shallow right field that Brady Renck dove after and came up a couple inches short. The ball dropped no more than fifteen feet onto the outfield grass for a two-run single.
 
"As far as his first collegiate start goes, I thought Goddard did outstanding," said Westmont head coach Robert Ruiz. "We like to use the term 'he got baseball-ed', meaning that even his good pitches were catching barrels that found some holes. That's part of the game and when two or three of those happen in a row, runs start to come across."
 
Jessup led 4-3 following Gutierrez' two-run single, and never relinquished the lead thereafter. In the fifth inning Jessup got breathing room when they chased Goddard with one out and a pair of men on. Ruiz opted for Carlos Moreno, but Moreno had to battle against rare command issues and ended up allowing both inherited runners to score.
 
Westmont added on a pair in the ninth but only after Jessup added three more of their own, and the six run deficit was too much to overcome as Westmont dropped the third game of the series 9-5.
 
"In game one they just did more than us," said Ruiz. "We didn't get our offense going and I thought we pressed quite a bit. And when we did get it going, it was too little too late."
 
In game two, Westmont's first seven runs came via the long ball. Reigning GSAC Player of the Week Daniel Netz got Westmont on the board with his sixth homerun of the year in the second. Later that inning, John Jensen sent a ball hallway up the batters' eye in center for a three-run shot to put Westmont up 4-0.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the top of the Westmont lineup put on a show. Jensen, Alex Stufft, and Simon Reid hit three consecutive home runs on four pitches to put the club up 7. To add to the fun, each man displayed a different take on the modern bat-flip as well.
 
Jensen turned to his dugout, not even watching the ball sail over the right field wall, and tossed his bat towards the third base line to celebrate his second home run of the day. Stufft played off his high one-handed finish and twirled the bat off his fingers while keeping his left hand in the air for a moment. And Reid completed the trilogy with a drop of the bat, reminiscent of Cody Bellinger, to celebrate his no-doubter to right.
 
Ruiz light-heartedly declined to answer when asked which bat-flip was his favorite, but did say, "It was good to get some offense and lighten the mood in the dugout, which helped guys to stop pressing. I don't think I've ever been a part of back-to-back-to-back home runs here so that was a fun inning to experience."
 
Westmont starter Ryan Humphreys went 4 1/3 innings and surrendered two runs on four hits, earning the victory. With one out in the fifth, Moreno came on for his second appearance of the day and this time his command was what Ruiz and company have come to expect. Moreno, Kyle Osterhage, and Robbie Haw combined to get the final six outs as Westmont sealed the 8-2 victory in the series finale.
 
"Humphreys was outstanding again, and although I'd like to see us win more innings, I thought we came out better and more consistent and ultimately did what we needed to do."
 
Westmont will enjoy Easter weekend off and return to action next Friday, when they welcome Hope International for a pivotal four game series. Live coverage will be available on the Westmont athletics website ahead of first pitch at 11:00 AM on April 9.
 
"This weekend off is critical for us to be recovered by Monday," said Ruiz. "We've always said since the day I got here that the game in front of you is the most important game of the season, so I don't think we'll look at this one any different. We know Hope is a good team and they had our number last time, but I think we're a better team now than we were then. I know our guys will be hungry and be ready to go for that series."