By Jacob Norling
April 15, 2024
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont Baseball (29-10-3, 20-3-1 PacWest) clinched a series win over the Azusa Pacific Cougars (18-22, 13-10) on Monday when the Warriors and Cougars split a doubleheader. A thrilling come-from-behind win went Westmont's way in game one, before late-inning heroics allowed the Cougars to avoid the sweep in game two.
In game one the Warriors looked as if they may cruise to victory, when they scored three runs in the first inning before recording an out.
Daniel Patterson continued his historic season by beginning Westmont's day with a leadoff home run, his 14th of the season, to right center field. Three batters later,
Michael Soper tied Patterson atop Westmont's RBI leaderboard, when a two-run single gave Soper his 41st and 42nd of the season.
Westmont's lead felt larger than it actually was for much of the day, thanks to an early start offensively and a solid start from
Sean Youngerman. Youngerman at one point retired 14 in a row, but with two outs in the fifth, APU's Danny Yanez got the Cougars on the board with a solo home run to right.
After Westmont failed to tack on once again, the Cougars were once again propelled by the long ball in the sixth. After a bunt single brought the potential tying run to plate, Mikey Easter spoiled Youngerman's day with a game-tying two-run blast, knotting the game at three in the top of the sixth. Westmont momentarily reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the sixth, when
Liam Critchett dropped an RBI single into right with two outs, scoring
Grant Yzermans.
Once again, however, the Cougars responded with another long-ball. This time the blast came in the top of the 8th inning, when APU's Cameron Lee lifted a ball out to straight-away right with a runner aboard. In the bottom of the eighth Westmont put runners at second and third with two outs, and with the club trailing 5-4,
Tyler LaTorre elected to pinch hit
Tanner Beltowski with the game on the line.
After spoiling a 1-2 slider, the freshman got himself a hanging breaking ball at the top of the zone. Then, Beltowski took one of the most electrifying swings of Westmont's season, when he hooked a sky-scraping fly ball inside the left field foul pole for a three-run home run.
Zach Yates then came and retired the side on 10 pitches in the ninth, giving the Warriors another series win while earning his seventh save of the season.
Sam Kim, who came and got the final out of the eighth, picked up his first win of the season.
In the series finale, the story of the day was APU's pitching, primarily their starter Cameron Kessel. Kessel stifled Westmont hitters through five scoreless innings, and entered the sixth inning with the Cougars leading 3-0. Westmont once again had a comeback in them, however, as a
Bryce McFeely double brought home Westmont's first run of the day, and put runners at second and third with outs. After a Soper walk and
Trey Dunn infield single, the Warriors trailed 3-2 with the bases loaded and two down.
Then, reliever Damian Pasillas ran the count full against
Finn Snyder, before missing outside with a slider to bring home the tying run. Beltowski nearly played hero again a batter later, but a potential grand slam died at the warning track, sending the game to the seventh tied at three.
A pair of Cougar singles put runners at the corners with one out in the seventh, and given Yate's lightning-quick ninth in game one, LaTorre elected to bring on Westmont's best for the second time on Monday. On Yate's second pitch he induced what might have been an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play, but Westmont's sure-handed shortstop committed a rare error to allow all runners to advance safely. The error put APU up 4-3, and opened the door for the Cougars to build a big inning.
A base hit, a walk, and another Westmont error later, and the Cougars entered the bottom of the seventh leading 7-3. The Warriors put a couple on board with two outs, but the potential tying run stayed in the on-deck circle, when Pasillas blew a game-ending fastball by McFeely to end the night.
With eight PacWest games remaining, the Warriors lead the Point Loma Sea Lions by two games for first place in the conference. Westmont returns to action on Friday in La Mirada when they take on Biola, before the Warriors return home to celebrate their senior day on Saturday.
Links to tickets and live coverage for next weekend's games will be available on the Westmont Athletics website.
