(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont Baseball (38-8), ranked 11th in the NAIA, entered the GSAC Championship as the number one seed and lived up to the billing with a 7-4 win over The Master's 31-15 on the first day of the five-team double-elimination tournament.
 
With the win, Westmont is scheduled to take on second-seeded Hope International (32-7), which is the NAIA's sixth ranked team. The Royals advanced to tomorrow's showdown with the Warriors courtesy of a 9-6 victory over Vanguard.
 
Bryan Peck picked up the win for the Warriors, his ninth of the year against one loss.
 
"It all started with Bryan Peck on the mound," noted Westmont's head coach Tyler LaTorre. "He had quick innings and was efficient. He pitched out of a couple of baserunners here and there. He is our ace and we go to him when we need to."
 
Peck allowed two runs - one of which was earned - on eight hits in six and two-third innings of work. He struck out nine and walked one.
 
Zach Yates took over the duties on the mound and pitched an inning and two-thirds for the Warriors, allowing two unearned runs on two hits. He limited the damage resulting from some Warrior miscues by striking out three while walking just one.
 
"I think the biggest thing for me moving forward is cleaning up the defense in the seventh and eighth inning," noted LaTorre. "It's a different field and different conditions, but it is for every team. I want to continue playing Warrior baseball and that means playing catch behind our pitches who are making pitchers."
 
Gabe Arteaga was called upon to come in and close out the game in the top of the nine. He retired the side in order, striking out the first two batters before coaxing the third to fly out to center. It was the GSAC-leading seventh save of the season by the senior right-hander.
 
Westmont started the scoring in the bottom of the third, taking a 1-0 lead. Robbie Haw walked to lead off the inning, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. When Brady Renck grounded out to first, Haw reached third. That was ahead of Ryan DeSaegher's RBI-groundout to second that allowed Haw to score.
 
"I thought we left a lot of baserunners out there," said LaTorre of the early innings. "I thought we could have scored a little bit earlier and put more pressure on Master's. However, we had the big, five-run inning."
 
That "big inning" was the bottom of the fifth. It started with a solo blast by Taylor Dunn over the left field fence that gave Westmont a 2-0 lead.
 
Michael Soper continued the innings when he reached second on a fielding error. Then, Haw hit a single up the middle that advanced Soper to third. Renck picked up an RBI on a ground out to second that brought home Soper and moved Haw to third. Next, DeSaegher doubled to left center, driving in Haw and making the score 4-0.
 
DeSaegher reached third on a passed ball before Bryce McFeely singled up the middle to plate DeSaegher. Finn Snyder advanced McFeely to third on a single to center field, setting up McFeely to score on a wild pitch.
 
After The Master's scored twice in the top of the seventh to make it a 6-2 game, Westmont took one back in the bottom half of the same inning when Snyder singled to right to drive in DeSaegher from third. DeSaegher had previously reached when he was hit by a pitch and then took third on a single to right center by Parker O'Neil.
 
The Master's added two more runs in the top of the eight, but that was as close as the Mustangs would get.
 
Looking forward to tomorrow's game with Hope International LaTorre said, "Both of us are different teams than when we first matched up. We think we are in a better spot now, but they feel like they are in a better spot too. It was going to be a collision course for us to meet up some way, somehow, and it turns out to be in the second round of the GSAC Conference Tournament. In order to do the things we are wanting to do, we have to beat good teams. Tomorrow will be a good test for both teams."
 
The Warriors and Hope International matched up for a four game series back in mid-February, with the Royals prevailing in three of the four games.
 
Before the Royals and Warriors take the field, Arizona Christian and Vanguard will face off at 10:00 a.m. in an elimination game. Westmont and Hope are scheduled for a first pitch at 2:00 p.m. Then at 6:00 p.m., The Master's will play against the winner between Arizona Christian and Vanguard in another elimination game.
 
Westmont also learned today that it has been selected to host one of 10 NAIA Baseball Championship Opening Round Tournaments. Play begins May 15-18 at Russ Carr Field with the winner of the double-elimination tournament advancing to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. The teams that will be joining Westmont in the Santa Barbara Bracket will not be announced until Thursday, May 11.