By Ron Smith
June 1, 2023
 
(LEWISTON, Idaho) In what is already the most successful season in program history, Westmont Baseball (47-9) will have an opportunity to put the cherry on top of the final season in the NAIA. With a 6-4 defeat of Southeastern of Florida (58-6) - last year's national champion - Westmont has earned the right to play for the national title on Friday in the 66th Avista NAIA World Series when it faces off against the tournament host Lewis-Clark State (37-17).
 
"I said that yesterday's game didn't define our season and wasn't indicative of who we are," said Westmont's head coach Tyler LaTorre about Westmont's 10-3 loss to Southeastern on Wednesday. "The game today was indicative of who we are – getting walks, hit by pitch, clutch hits, defensive plays, pitchers, Shane Hofstadler behind the plate and just picking each other up and having full belief in each other. It is something people will remember forever. We have one more game that is even more special."
 
The Warrior hurlers produced a superb pitching performance against the NAIA's most prolific offense and top-ranked team. Collectively, Bryan Peck, Zach Yates and Lucien Wechsberg struck out 12 while allowing just two walks.
 
Bryan Peck made his second start in the Series and earned his 10th win of the season against just one loss. Peck pitched five innings, limiting the Fire to four runs on seven hits. He struck out six and allowed just one walk.
 
"They are a good team," said Peck of the Fire. "I just had to go right at them and make them do the work. I didn't want to give them any free passes. They got a couple of hits, but we kept it close and we managed. Hits are going to happen. My goal is to attack the zone and make them hit it. I want to stay as efficient as possible. Hits aren't going to get to me. The walks and free passes, those will hurt us and you have to try and limit those."
 
Southeastern's Chayce Bryant drove a home run into left field in the second inning to give the Fire a 1-0 lead. However, the Warriors responded with two runs in the top of the third.
 
Walks to Brady Renck, Bryce McFeely and Parker O'Neil loaded the bases in the top of the third with two away. Then Finn Snyder turned a 0-2 count into an RBI-walk for the Warriors' first run. The second run would be the result of a balk with the bases loaded, making the score 2-1.
 
The Fire returned the favor in the bottom half of the third by scoring two runs of their own. The first on a sacrifice fly by Adonys Herrera and the second on a RBI-single by Gary Lora.
 
In the top of the fifth, Westmont tied the score at three with a sacrifice fly by Liam Critchett that brought home McFeely. McFeely had previously reached on a single to center.
 
Once again, however, the Fire responded, with Herrera driving an RBI-single to right center to make it a 4-3 game.
 
That, however, was the last lead that Southeastern would enjoy. In the top of the sixth, Michael Soper delivered a lead-off single to right. Robbie Haw was hit by a pitch and Brady Renck walked to load the bases with Warriors.
 
That brought up Ryan DeSaegher who once again came through in the clutch – a habit that he has demonstrated throughout the Series. This time it was a two-RBI single through the left side that scored Soper and Haw and gave Westmont a 5-4 lead.
 
Yates took over for Peck in the bottom of the sixth inning and turned in a scoreless inning and one-third. He gave up two hits, struck out three and surrendered just one walk.
 
In the top of the seventh, Westmont added an insurance run that, as it turned out, would not be needed. With two away, Hofstadter singled to center field. Daniel Patterson ran for Hofstadler and stole second base. Then, Soper sent a fly ball to left field that was mishandled. The error allowed Patterson to score.
 
With two on and one out in the bottom of the seventh, Wechsberg was summoned from the bullpen. After retiring the first batter he faced with a strikeout, he induced a pop up to end the inning.
 
"Coming in, I was locked in," said Wechsberg. "I was ready to go and I knew my defense behind me had me. Coming up there, LaTorre came up and said, 'You got this'. With his confidence, I knew I had it."
 
In the bottom of the eighth Wechsberg gave up a lead-off double to Chayce Bryant.
 
"He hit the double and it got through," acknowledged Wechsberg. "I thought, okay, I just need to work and be a little tighter. When he got to third. I thought, 'We're good. He got to third with two outs, he isn't scoring.'"
 
He didn't. Wechsberg retired the next three batters he faced to end the threat.
 
With Westmont still leading going into the bottom of the ninth, Wechsberg returned to the mound. He coaxed the Fire's Nicholas Block to pop-up to right field for the first out. Then, he got some help on a spectacular play by Westmont right fielder Bryce McFeely.
 
Traversing the 20 feet of foul territory in right field, McFeely chased down a high pop-up by Josh Pigozzo, then reached over the two-foot high wall separating the playing surface from the Warrior's bullpen and made the catch before falling into the bullpen.
 
Fittingly, Wechsberg recorded the final out with a strikeout of Isaac Nunez.
 
"I screamed," said Wechsberg. "I didn't know what else to do. It was an amazing feeling."
 
While Wechsberg was roaring, his teammates were rushing the mound. What followed was without a doubt the most joyous high-five line this season.
 
"We don't even know ourselves that we are capable of this," said Peck. "We are proving a lot to ourselves. It is our last year (in the NAIA) and our last go at it. There is no better team to do it and no one I would rather do it with."
 
"It has been our goal all year," said Wechsberg. "LaTorre has been talking about it all year, every game. He is leading us and if we keep following him the right way, we are going to win."
 
"We have the right guy on the mound," said LaTorre of tomorrow's game. "We have Chase Goddard on short rest and he will give us whatever he can. Anybody that we go to is going to be ready. We are going to be ready on the mound, we are going to be ready on defense and we are going to be ready in the box. We just need to go out there and play our game. We've dreamed about it, and we have made it a reality."
 
The dream's first pitch will be at 6:35 p.m.