By Ron Smith
April 15, 2023
 
(SANTA CLARITA, Calif.) Westmont Baseball (34-8, 17-4 GSAC), ranked 11th in the NAIA, will enter the last weekend of the regular season with a one game lead over sixth-ranked Hope International (27-7, 16-5) after splitting with The Master's (27-13, 11-10) in Saturday's doubleheader. The Warriors won the first game 14-9 to clinch the series victory, but fell in the second game 2-0.
 
Westmont and Hope International will both finish the season with road games to Arizona. The Warriors will play a three-game series at Ottawa (14-24-1, 6-14-1) beginning on Friday while the Royals will take on the Firestorm of #25 Arizona Christian (26-17, 11-10).
 
In Saturday's early game, Chase Goddard improved to 7-1 on the season despite giving up eight runs on nine hits in five and one-third innings of play. Sean Youngerman gave the Warriors two innings of work, allowing one run on two hits while striking out three. Aidan Holly finished up the game for the Warriors, pitching one and two-third scoreless innings. Holly retired all five batters he faced, striking out three.
 
Westmont scored in seven of the nine innings. In the top of the first, the Warriors put up a two on the scoreboard courtesy of a two-RBI single to left by Ryan DeSaegher that drove in Robbie Haw and Brady Renck. DeSaegher went three for six at the plate with five RBIs and a run scored.
 
The Warriors added two more in the second, the first on an infield single by Trey Dunn that drove in Shane Hofstadler from third and the second on an RBI fielder's choice that scored Michael Soper.
 
Hofstadler's solo home run in the third inning put the Warriors up five runs to four - a lead they did not relinquish.
 
As they had in the first inning, Haw and Renck both produced hits to start off the inning. Haw had a single to left and Renck a double to right center. Renck went four for four at the plate in the game with two walks, three runs and three RBIs. With three games to go, he is the current leader for the GSAC batting title with an average of .416.
 
Renck's double gave Westmont runners at second and third with no one out and brought up DeSaegher who doubled to right for his fourth and fifth RBIs of the game.
 
After a pitching change, Bryce McFeely was hit by a pitch before Parker O'Neil delivered an RBI-single to center to drive in DeSaegher and advance O'Neil to third. McFeely later scored on a wild pitch.
 
Soper drove in two Warrior runs in the sixth inning when his single to center brought home Liam Critchett and O'Neil.
 
The seventh inning saw two more runs scored when a home run by Renck made the score 13-8. The two-run blast produced the 157th run scored by the senior second baseman, tying him for the career record with a former Warrior second baseman, Michael Stefanic.
 
Westmont's final run of the first game came in the eighth when Renck walked with the bases loaded.
 
In the second game, Eric Osegura suffered his first loss of the season. Though he gave up just two runs on six hits in five innings of work, the senior right-hander did not get any run support. The game marked the first time the Warriors – who tallied just two hits - have been shutout this season.
 
Westmont's best chance to score came in the second inning with runners on second and third and one away. Two strikeouts later, however, the Warriors were back on the field without a run on the scoreboard.
 
Next weekend, the Warriors are scheduled for a doubleheader at Ottawa on Friday beginning at 2:00 p.m. followed by a single game on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.