By Ron Smith
March 23, 2025
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) It wasn't a day to be remembered, but that happens in sports, and particularly in baseball.
 
Fourth-ranked Westmont (24-5, 19-3) lost both ends of a doubleheader to Concordia on Saturday. The Warriors lost 3-5 in the early game. In the second game, the Warriors fell victim to a no hitter, losing 0-17.
 
In the early game, Westmont fell behind 5-0 in the first four innings of play. Westmont scored its first run in the fifth inning. Bryce McFeely reached on a lead-off single, then with two away, scored when Jesse Di Maggio's fly ball was dropped by the left fielder.
 
In the sixth inning, Westmont scored again on an RBI-single by Daniel Patterson. Michael Soper had doubled to right in advance of Patterson to provide the RBI-opportunity.
 
The Warriors did not score again until the bottom of the ninth Patterson led off the innings with a double to left. Two outs later, Trey Dunn singled down the left field line, allowing Patterson to score.
 
The brightest spot in the first game was the relief performance by Josh Hickey. The sophomore right-hander pitched five and one-third scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and retiring the first eight batters that he faced. He struck out five and did not allow a walk.
 
There were few bright spots in game two. Concordia's Matthew Kaiser pitched a seven-inning no hitter, striking out nine and walking three. Thanks to a double play by the Golden Eagles, he faced just two batters over the minimum.
 
Warrior pitchers did not fare any better. Seven different hurlers gave up 17 runs on 20 hits, struck out four and walked five.
 
Having played 22 PacWest games, the Warriors have reached the halfway point of the conference season. Westmont sits atop the standings with a three-game lead over #13 Point Loma Nazarene (20-8, 13-3) and a four-game lead over Jessup (17-8, 14-6). Vanguard (18-12, 14-10) is in fourth place, six games back. Hawai'i Pacific (15-14, 13-11) is seven games back in sixth place. Biola (13-14, 10-10) and Azusa Pacific (13-15, 11-11) are both eight games back.
 
At season's end, the top four teams will earn berths in the PacWest Tournament. Vanguard, Jessup and Menlo, who are in transition into Division II, are not eligible for postseason play. If the season were ending now, Westmont, Point Loma, Hawai'i Pacific and either Biola or Azusa Pacific would make up the tournament field.
 
Westmont's magic number to clinch a tournament berth is 15. That number is a combination of Westmont wins and the losses of the fifth place team, excluding those teams that are not eligible.
 
Of the Warriors' 22 remaining games, only four will be played at home. Westmont will play four-game road series at Jessup on March 29-30, Hawai'i Hilo (6-19, 4-16) on April 11-12, and Menlo (4-22, 2-18) on April 18-19. Westmont will play four-game, home-and-away series against Biola on April 4-5, and Vanguard on April 25-26. The Warriors also have a make-up away doubleheader with Azusa Pacific that has not yet been scheduled.