By Ron Smith
February 9, 2024
 
(SAN FRANCISCO) Westmont Baseball (3-2-1) kicked off a three-game road trip to San Francisco with a pair of wins at Maloney Field on Friday. In the early game, the Warriors dispatched the Wolves of Western Oregon (0-1) by a score of 15-3. In the second game, Westmont took on the host San Francisco State (2-2) and posted a 5-4 win.
 
Brian Peck (1-0) pitched the first five innings for the Warriors in game one and picked up his first win of the season. The junior right-hander, who struck out eight without issuing a walk, allowed two runs on six hits.
 
Joey Rico, a freshman right-hander from Visalia, pitched the scoreless sixth and seventh innings, giving up just one hit and striking out one. Freshman Caden Beloian of El Dorado Hills, also a right-hander, finished off the final two innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out two.
 
Offensively, Westmont tallied 18 hits in the game with each starter getting at least one hit.
 
The Warriors put up three runs in the top of the first inning. After lead-off batter Daniel Patterson was hit by a pitch and awarded first base, Michael Soper drove a double down the left field line, moving Patterson to third. One out later, Liam Critchett was walked to load the bases.
 
That brought up Trey Dunn who doubled to left center, driving in Patterson and Soper and moving Critchett to third. Andrew Guidara collected an RBI when his ground ball to short allowed Critchett to score.
 
Westmont added five more in the top of the third to take an 8-1 lead. Critchett got aboard with a single to right and one out later took second when Guidara was hit by a pitch. Finn Snyder reached on a fielding error, loading the bases for Jack Bollengier whose sacrifice fly to center brought home Critchett.
 
An infield single by Colin Callahan reloaded the bases and turned the lineup over, bringing up Patterson. After doubling in the second inning, Patterson used his third at bat to double Westmont's run total with a grand slam.
 
The Warriors gave up a single run in the bottom of both the third and fifth innings, but matched that total with two runs in the sixth. A lead-off walk to Critchett was followed by a single up the middle by Dunn and an RBI-single to first by Guidara that allowed Critchett to score. A double-steal by Dunn and Guidara led to a Wolves' throwing error on which Dunn came home.
 
With two away and the bases empty in the top of the eighth, the Warriors pushed five more runs across the plate to put the game out of reach. Snyder started things off with a solo home run to left center. Then, Bollengier singled to center and was replaced at first base by pinch runner Isaac Veal.

Veal advanced to third when Callahan singled to right center. That brought up Patterson who collected his fifth RBI of the game with a single to left. Soper then drove in two more runs for the Warriors with a double down the right field line. Bryce McFeely drove in the Warriors' final run with a single to left that brought home Soper.
 
The second game against the Gators of San Francisco State was a much closer affair. In the bottom of the first, lead-off hitter Armando Murrillo put the Gators on top with a solo shot over the left field fence.
 
San Francisco State held on to the 1-0 lead until the top of the third. That's when, with one away, Patterson doubled to right center ahead of a triple by Soper that tied the game at one. Soper then gave the Warriors the lead when he scored on an error.
 
The Gators tied the score at two runs apiece in the fourth with a sacrifice fly by Derek Laferriere that drove in Justin Johnson. The latter had reached on a double to start the inning.
 
Westmont took advantage of a San Francisco State miscue in the top of the fifth to regain the lead. Grant Yzerman led off the inning and reached on an error. One out later, he advanced to second on a balk and then scored on a single by Soper to right field. Soper had three hits and two RBIs in the game.
 
McFeely extended the Warrior lead in the top of the seventh with a two-run blast to left center. The home run brought in Soper who preceded McFeely with a single to right center.
 
The Gators were not done, however, and drew within a single run in the bottom of the eighth when Anthony Alvarez delivered a two-RBI single to left center field. However, that was as close as San Francisco State would get.
 
Freshman left-hander Cam Staton of Auburn started on the bump for the Warriors and pitched four innings allowing two runs on four hits. Junior transfer Evan Johnson out of Petaluma was credited with the win after giving the Warriors three and one-third innings. He gave up two runs on three hits. Lucien Wechsberg earned his first save of the year by pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
 
Westmont will be back in action tomorrow when they face off again with Western Oregon. First pitch is scheduled for 10:00 a.m.