By Ron Smith
May 3, 2023
 
(IRVINE, Calif.) For the first time since the 2014 season, Westmont Baseball (40-8) has won the Golden State Athletic Conference Championship. The 11th ranked Warriors did so by defeating sixth-ranked Hope International (33-9) by a score of 9-3 on Wednesday afternoon at the Orange County Great Park.
 
"I am proud of the way our whole team responded to coming into a tournament and having finals week at the same time," noted Westmont's head coach Tyler LaTorre. "It is really impressive."
 
By virtue of its 9-7 win over the Royals yesterday, the Warriors entered today's game with the advantage of needing to defeat Hope once while the Royals would have to defeat Westmont twice to win the championship. Additionally, Hope had to survive an elimination game earlier today, which they did with an 11-10 win in 10 innings over Arizona Christian.
 
"I think it is important when you have a team that is coming off an emotional win in extra innings to jump on them early," said LaTorre, "especially when it is an elimination game for them. To jump out early was huge."
 
In the bottom of the first, Robbie Haw led off with a single to center and then took second when Brady Renck did the same. One out later, Bryce McFeely doubled down the right field line, driving in Haw and moving Renck to third. Renck scored on a ground ball by Parker O'Neil to short.
 
The Royals evened the score at two runs apiece on a solo home run by JJ Cruz in the top of the second and a sacrifice fly by David Rivera in the third. The tie, however, did not last long.
 
Ryan DeSaegher led off the bottom of the third with a single up the middle. One out later, he reached second when O'Neil walked. After both runners advanced on a wild pitch, DeSaegher scored on Finn Snyder's ground out to second. Then, Liam Critchett and Shane Hofstadler were issued walks to load the bases with Warriors.
 
Michael Soper's two-RBI single to left drove in both O'Neil and Critchett while moving Tyler Dunn - who was pinch running for Hofstadler - over to third. Dunn then scored the fourth run of the inning on a wild pitch, giving Westmont a 6-2 advantage.
 
Hope scored one more run in the fifth inning on an RBI-single by Max Jung-Goldberg, but it was the last run the Royals would put a tally on the scoreboard.
 
The Warriors added a single run in the bottom of the sixth, courtesy of a pair of doubles by Soper and Renck. Then in the bottom of the eighth, Daniel Patterson drove in Paul Mezurashi and Renck with a single down the right field line.
 
Starting pitcher Chase Goddard improved to 9-1 with the win. Goddard allowed three runs on six hits, struck out four and did not issue a walk.
 
"Hope has a prolific offense," noted LaTorre. "For Goddard to go out there, put the team on his back and limit the Royals offense is a testament to his preparation all year long. He has been brilliant all year and to see him go out there in the biggest moment against a really good team was impressive."
Lucian Wechsberg pitched the final three innings without surrendering a run. Wechsberg allowed three hits and struck out two. Like Goddard, he did not permit a walk.
 
"Lucian has been unreal the last few months," observed LaTorre. "He has been lights out. The plan was to give him the ball and let him roll. He is a workhorse for us and has been for the entire year. Seeing him go out there and pitch and do what he is supposed to do for his teammates was unbelievable to watch."
 
As a whole, the Warrior pitching staff was impressive over the tournament's three games. In 27 innings, they allowed just 10 earned runs, struck out 26, gave up just three walks and were charged with just two wild pitches.
 
"That goes back to our pitching coach, Rich Hufford and the preparation he puts in to get our guys to trust what they are trying to execute," said LaTorre. "It is a full team effort. Giving the ball to the next guy is something we have talked about all year."
 
In his first year as head coach, LaTorre's team won both the GSAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships. It is the first time that has been accomplished in program history.
 
After celebrating today's victory - and finishing up the remaining final exams - the Warriors will turn their attention to the NAIA National Championship. Earlier this week it was announced that Westmont will host one of 10 Opening Round Tournaments May 15-18. The 45-team field for the national tournament, and assignment to Opening Round sites, will not be announced until Thursday, May 11.
 
Five of the Opening Round sites will host four-team tournaments and five sites will host five-team tournaments. No matter the number of teams, all sites will be double-elimination. Whether the Santa Barbara Bracket will be a four or five team tournament will also be made known on May 11.
 
The winner of each of the 10 Opening Round Tournaments will advance to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho to compete in a 10-team double-elimination format. World Series play is scheduled to begin on May 26 and continue through June 2.