By Ron Smith
May 2, 2023
 
(IRVINE, Calif.) In the pivotal fifth game of the Golden State Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament, #11 Westmont (39-8) posted a 9-7 victory over #6 Hope International (32-8) in a back-and-forth battle.
 
The importance of game five is that it featured a match-up of the last two unbeaten teams in the double-elimination tournament. With the win, Westmont advances to the first championship game on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. A victory in that game by the Warriors secures the tournament title.
 
With its loss, Hope International falls into the loser's bracket. Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., the Royals will play an elimination game against the Firestorm of Arizona Christian with the winner moving on to the championship against Westmont. The winner between Hope International and Arizona Christian will need to defeat Westmont twice in order to secure the championship, while Westmont need only win one game.
 
"It was a full-team win," said Westmont head coach Tyler LaTorre about today's game. "Offensively, we had quality at bats for three big innings. We have been doing that all year where we have spurts of putting together quality, competitive at bats."
 
Westmont got on the scoreboard first with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. A two-out rally was started when Liam Critchett doubled to left field. After Shane Hofstadler walked, Michael Soper singled through the right side to load the bases. With Daniel Patterson running for Hofstadler, Robbie Haw singled to left driving in Critchett and Patterson.
 
Hope responded in the bottom of the second with a run of their own on an RBI-single to left by Alex Moreno that drove in Omar Veloz from second to make the score 2-1.
 
The Royals went on to take a 5-2 lead by scoring two runs in both the third and fourth innings. In the third inning, Matthew Pinal produced a two-RBI single up the middle. Then in the fourth, David Rivera powered a two-run home run over the left field fence.
 
In the top of the fifth, Westmont pushed across three runs to tie the game at five. Haw and Renck started the inning off with back-to-back singles to give the Warriors runs at first and second with no outs. Then, Ryan DeSaegher hit a single to right that the fielder over ran. The ball rolled all the way to the fence, allowing Haw and Renck to score and DeSaegher to reach third. One out later, DeSaegher scored on a ball hit deep in the hole between short and third by Parker O'Neil.
 
The tie game did not last long, however. In the bottom of the fifth, Robert Mattei doubled down the right field line and JJ Cruz singled to right to drive in Mattei and put the Royals on top 6-5.
 
After a scoreless sixth and seventh inning, Westmont regained the lead with a four-run eighth, going ahead 9-6. With one away, Finn Snyder was issued a walk, then advanced to second when Critchett singled to left. With Trey Dunn running for Critchett, a wild pitch allowed the Warrior runners to advance to second and third.
 
A single through the left side of the infield by Hofstadler allowed Snyder to score the tying run. Then, Soper walked to load the bases. Haw stepped to the plate and laid down a squeeze bunt that pushed Dunn across the plate as the go-ahead run. Renck then followed with a single through the left side, bringing home Patterson, who was running for Hofstadler, and Soper and giving Westmont a three-run lead.
 
"Robbie laying down the suicide squeeze with the bases loaded was the big momentum shift," noted LaTorre. "Right after that, Brady had a huge opportunity and pushed across insurance runs. He also made a huge play on a tough ground ball in the ninth."
 
The Royals would draw within two runs in the bottom of the eighth on a triple to right center by Rivera that drove in Moreno, but that was as close as they would get. Gabe Arteaga came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and retired the side in order to pick up his second save in as many days.
 
Eric Oseguera started the game for the Warriors, pitching four and one-third innings. He gave up six runs – five earned – on eight hits while striking out three and allowing just one walk.
 
Aidan Holly was credited with the win, extending his record to 4-0. Holly pitched two and two-thirds scoreless innings, allowing two hits, striking out two. He did not permit a walk.
 
Carlos Moreno pitched the eighth inning for the Warriors, his first outing since mid-March after suffering an injury. Moreno gave up one run on two hits and struck out one.
 
"Osy minimizing bigger innings was huge," explained LaTorre. "His ability to get an out in his last inning was huge because it kept Holly from having to pitch that full inning and that allowed him to go two innings afterwards. Los came in and gave us another inning and Gabe did Gabe things in the ninth."
 
Asked how he would prepare his team for tomorrow when he would not even know the opponent until after the morning game, LaTorre replied, "All year we have been playing Warrior baseball. It doesn't matter who we are playing against. We are mostly playing against the game.
 
"First, our guys are grinding with final exams. So, we need to take care of finals and get a good night's sleep. It is an on the field and off the field deal.
 
"Preparing for tomorrow is playing Warrior baseball – continuing to stick together and believe in each other."