By Ron Smith
February 24, 2024
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont Baseball (8-5-2) came from behind in the first game of a doubleheader to defeat Biola (7-5-1) by a score of 8-7 in 10 innings. The second game ended in a 7-7 tie when it was called for approaching darkness.
 
Sophomore right-hander Sean Youngerman (3-0) took the mound for the Warriors in the first game and pitched seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits. He struck out three and did not issue a walk. Youngerman exited the game with the score tied at two and did not figure in the decision.
 
The game remained scoreless for the first four innings. In the top of the fifth, Biola pushed across a single run on a sacrifice fly by Nick Ruiz. Then in the top of the seventh, Biola acquired a 2-0 lead when Ruiz knocked an RBI-single into left field.
 
Westmont tied the game in the bottom of the seventh. After Tanner Beltowski doubled down the left field line with one away, Andrew Guidara singled to right field to drive in Beltowski. Isaac Veal replaced Guidara as a pinch runner before a single to center by Colin Callahan advanced Veal to second.

Veal took third base when Daniel Patterson flew out to deep right field, giving the Warriors runners on the corner with two outs. Jack Bollengier then singled to right, bringing home Veal.
 
The tie did not last long. With Youngerman out of the game, the first seven Biola batters in the top of the eighth reached base, six by hits and one via a walk. The Eagles scored four runs in the inning. The first on an RBI-single by AJ Ortiz after Bobby Brown led off the inning with a double. Then James Whitman pounded the ball over the left field fence to tally two more.
 
With three runs in, two on base and no outs, Evan Otte was brought in to pitch. The freshman allowed a single to left by Austin Carillo that scored a run, but then shut down the Eagles' offense. Otte struck out the next two batters and coaxed the third to pop out to right field to limit the damage to four runs.
 
In the bottom half of the marathon eighth inning, Westmont responded with four runs of their own, tying the game at six. McFeely led off and struck out swinging. However, the ball got away from the Biola catcher and McFeely reached first safely. A single by Trey Dunn moved McFeely to second before Jaden Mingus drove a two-RBI double to left-center field to make it a 6-4 game.
 
Mingus took third on a wild pitch, before Beltowski and Tyler McEvoy were walked to load the bases with no outs. Another wild pitch allowed Mingus to score the third Warrior run of the inning and move Beltowski and McEvoy up one base each. Then Callahan reloaded the bases with an infield single.
 
After a pitching change, Patterson reached on a fielder's choice on which Beltowski was retired at the plate. Then, a ground out to second by Bollengier allowed McEvoy to score, knotting the game at six apiece.
 
A scoreless ninth sent the game to extra innings. Lucien Wechsberg had entered in the ninth and kept the Eagles at bay. In the top of the 10th, Brown hit an RBI-single to center field, driving in Carillo and putting Biola on top 7-6.
 
Daniel Patterson did not allow that lead to stand long. He led off the bottom of the 10th with a blast over the left field fence to make it a 7-7 game. Bollengier and Soper followed with back-to-back singles, resulting in runners at first and second with no one out. That brought up McFeely who pounded a walk-off double to left-center field to drive in Bollengier and send the Warriors running out of the dugout in celebration.
 
Wechsberg, who pitched two innings allowing one run on three hits while striking out three, was credited with the win, improving to 1-1.
 
Ryan Humphreys took the mound in the second game for the Warriors and provided five innings of work in the game scheduled for seven. Humphreys, who departed the game with a 7-4 lead, struck out six and walked five.
 
Like in the first game, Biola struck first, this time with a two-run shot over the left-field fence by Whitman. Westmont responded with three runs in the bottom of the second. Beltowski was walked to start the inning and advanced to second on a single up the middle by Callahan. A fly out to center by Liam Critchett allowed Beltowski to reach third. That was significant because a balk on a pick-off attempt scored Beltowski and moved Callahan to second.
 
Callahan made it to third on a ground out by McEvoy. That brought up Grant Yzermans who recorded his first collegiate home run with a blast over the right center field.
 
Westmont added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth. The first run scored was the result of a lead-off home run crushed by Critchett to right field. It was not the last home run of the inning.
 
With two way, Patterson hit his second home run of the day, clearing the right-center field fence. After a walk by Bollengier, McFeely delivered the third Warrior home run of the inning, also to right-center field, making it a 7-2 game.
 
In the top of the fifth, Carillo followed the Warriors' example and hit his own two-run home run to right center, cutting the lead to 7-4. Then in the sixth, Biola added three runs more to tie the game at seven. The first two came on an RBI-double by Whitman. Then, Sam Lisiak singled up the middle to drive in Whitman.
 
With the bases loaded in the top of the sixth and two away, Zach Yates took the mound for the Warriors. Yates needed just three pitches to strike out the first batter he faced and end the threat.
 
In the top of the seventh, Yates returned to the mound. Including the three pitches from the sixth inning, the first 10 pitches he threw were strikes. Yates, who retired the side in order, did not record a ball until the fourth batter he faced – and he threw only one.
 
In the bottom of seventh, Westmont loaded the bases before an out was recorded - Mingus was hit by a pitch, Soper was walked and Callahan reached on a fielding error by the pitcher. Unfortunately for the Warriors, they were unable to push across what would have been the winning run.
 
Despite 20 minutes remaining before sunset, the umpires called the game for darkness at 5:30 p.m. As a result, neither team was given the opportunity to win the game in extra innings.
 
The Warriors begin PacWest Conference play next week when they travel to San Diego to take on the Sea Lions of Point Loma Nazarene in a four-game series. Doubleheaders on both Friday and Saturday are slated for an 11:00 a.m. first pitch.