By Jacob Norling
April 21, 2023
 
(SURPRISE, Ariz.) Westmont Baseball (36-8, 19-4 GSAC) is one win away from claiming a Golden State Athletic Conference Championship, after claiming both ends of a doubleheader against OUAZ (14-27-1, 6-16-1) on Friday. In game one, Westmont took advantage of another quality start from Bryan Peck with double-digit run support, and in game two, the Warriors worked in and out of traffic early before breaking the game open.
 
"Our guys set out on a mission in the fall," said Westmont head coach Tyler La Torre, "and that was to put ourselves in position to play meaningful baseball games at the end of the year. As it turns out, every single game has been meaningful all year long.
 
"The guys know what's at stake, and we want to take care of our own business, and not leave it up to anybody else. Our guys are focused, and tomorrow is just another game to get ready for."
 
Peck ultimately picked up his club-leading eighth win of the season after completing seven strong innings in game one, but the sophomore right-hander had to work through all sorts of traffic to hold the Spirit at bay. During his first five innings of work, Peck stranded a combined seven runners on base and by the time Peck entered the sixth, Westmont had built a comfortable lead.
 
The scoring opened up in the top of the third inning with runners at the corners and nobody out. Shortstop Robbie Haw ultimately bounced into a 6-4-3 double play, but the twin-killing still allowed Michael Soper to carry home the day's first run. Westmont's next run came in the same half-inning, and this time with some historic significance.
 
Following the double play, senior Brady Renck tripled to the gap in left-center field, which gave Westmont's second baseman his fourth three-bagger of the year. Two batters later the OUAZ shortstop could not handle a ground ball, allowing Renck to trot home for a 2-0 lead. The run scored was the 158th in the four-year career of Renck, which set a new program record.
 
Previously, the record has been held by Westmont great Michael Stefanic ('18), who has gone on to play for the Los Angeles Angels.
 
"We gave Brady the game ball today," assured La Torre. "We told the guys that it's an honor that goes to the whole team for driving him in. Sometimes he drives himself in with home runs, but it's also to this program over the last four years, in my opinion.
 
"Brady does what he does. He gets on base a ton, and when you get on base as much as him, you're going to score a lot of runs."
 
Westmont added another run in the fourth on consecutive doubles by Liam Critchett and Shane Hofstadler, and another in the fifth when Parker O'Neil singled home Bryce McFeely. The big blow came during the top of the sixth, when Hofstadler lifted his 10th home run of the season over the wall in straight-away left. At that point, Westmont led 6-0.
 
OUAZ answered with a two-run shot of their own in the bottom of the sixth, which was the first time they were able to scratch one across against Peck. In the top of the seventh, however, Westmont scored four runs, this time on RBIs from McFeely, Critchett, Soper, and Trey Dunn.
 
Peck finished his day by working through a little more traffic in the bottom of the seventh. The winning pitcher's final line included seven innings, four strikeouts, and three walks.
 
"When you get this late in the season," began La Torre, "you're going to have to grind. Bryan has put the team on his back for every one of his starts this year, and he's done exactly what he set out to do. Although there was some traffic, and some bumps along the way, he gave us everything we could want."
 
Paul Mezurashi capped off the scoring with a two-run double in the ninth, and Christopher Ceballos followed Peck's outing with two scoreless innings of his own, giving the Warriors a tone-setting 12-3 victory. Renck's run record was not the only record set by the Warriors in game one, as the club's eight doubles in the victory tied a program single-game record.
 
"We got good breaks and clutch hits all day long," reflected La Torre, "and that's what Warriors do."
 
In game two the Spirit had Westmont's starter Sean Youngerman on the ropes early. After the Warriors were held scoreless in their first at bat, OUAZ's first four hitters all reached on singles, giving the Spirit a 1-0 lead as the bases remained loaded with nobody out.
 
Following a mound visit, however, the freshman Youngerman dug deep, striking out each of the next three hitters to strand the bases loaded.
 
"Youngerman's three punch-outs in the first inning set the tone tonight," noted La Torre. "He had to get through some traffic, but he kept us in it, and allowed us the chance to get the lead. I was super proud of how he responded."
 
Following a similar script, each of Westmont's first three hitters reached to load the bases in the second. The Warriors squandered the chance just as OUAZ had in the first, with a Soper Sacrifice fly the only thing the club could muster of the opportunity.
 
The game remained tied at one until the top of the fourth, when McFeely doubled to right-center with one out. O'Neil followed up the double with a single that snuck passed the reach of the Spirit shortstop by mere inches and into center field. The knock from O'Neil allowed McFeely to scurry home and give Westmont their first lead of game two.
 
Two batters later Soper sprayed a ball to left center that rolled all the way to the wall, giving O'Neil the chance to score all the way from first, and ended with Soper having a standup triple. The line kept moving when Dunn flared a ball with tons of sidespin to the right side of the infield, unable to be corralled by the OUAZ first baseman. Dunn reached safely at first, and Soper trotted home with Westmont's third run of the inning, giving them a 4-1 advantage.
 
After Youngerman worked a clean second and third inning, the Spirit responded with some traffic against Aidan Holly in their half the fourth. A two-out double made it 4-2, and also put the tying runs in scoring position. On the first pitch to the next batter, however, Holly induced a routine pop out to shallow center, keeping the Warriors in the lead.
 
In the top of the fifth the Warriors tacked on a trio of runs thanks to an O'Neil sacrifice fly, a two-out double off the bat of Finn Snyder, and a run-scoring single by Soper, giving the club a comfortable 7-2 lead with nine outs to go.
 
While the Spirit put multiple runners aboard in the late innings, Holly and Lucien Wechsberg combined to put up some zeroes, giving the Warriors a 7-2 win, and the right to a good night's sleep.
 
"Aidan Holly has been throwing the ball great all year," added La Torre, "and then for the past four or five weeks, Lucien has been throwing the ball as well as anyone on our staff. For him to come into a big situation and close it out, it's become what we expect out of him."
 
On Saturday Westmont and OUAZ will cap off their regular seasons with an 11:00 a.m. first pitch from Surprise. Westmont can win an outright GSAC Regular Season Championship with a win, or a loss by Hope International.
 
The Royals play a doubleheader against Arizona Christian beginning at 12:00 p.m.