By Ron Smith
March 30, 2025
 
(LINCOLN, Calif.) Westmont Baseball (25-8, 20-6 PacWest) split a doubleheader with William Jessup (23-10, 20-8) in a battle of teams sitting in the top two spots on the conference standings. Westmont currently holds a one-game lead over Jessup for first place.
 
In the first game, Jessup produced a 10th-inning, walk-off, RBI-single to claim a 6-5 victory. Then in the second game, Westmont held on to a 3-2 lead to record its 25th win of the year.
 
In the early game, the Warriors from Montecito scored a single run in the first, third and fourth innings to take a 3-0 lead. The first-inning run came after Grant Yzermans led off the game with a single to right, then reached second on a sacrifice bunt by Michael Soper. One out later, Bryce McFeely doubled down the left field line to plate Yzermans.
 
The run in the third inning was the result of a double by Daniel Patterson to right-center field that drove in Soper from first. Soper had reached by working a two-out walk.
 
An RBI-single to right-center by Shane Hofstadler accounted for the run in the fourth inning. Hofstadler drove in Dunn from second.
 
A pair of runs by the Warriors of Jessup in the fifth, and another in the sixth, tied the game at three all.
 
With one away in the top of the eight and men on first (McFeely) and second (Patterson), Jack Bollengier reached on a fielder's choice. McFeely was retired at first, but Bollengier beat out the double-play attempt. An error on the play allowed Patterson to score, putting the Warriors up by one.
 
Westmont added another run in the ninth to go up 5-3. Isaac Veal led off the inning and was walked. Hofstadler's sacrifice bunt advanced Veal to second. One out later, Yzermans' fly ball to left that should have retired the side, went in and out of the left-fielder's glove, allowing Veal to score.
 
Down to their last out, Gabe Harris came up for Jessup in the bottom of the ninth with one man on. Harris powered the ball over the fence in right-center field, forcing the game into extra innings.
 
Then, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and a man on second, Dominic Ott singled down the left field line, driving in Nick Poss for the game-winning run.
 
Joey Rico pitched the first eight innings, allowing three runs on eight hits. He struck out two and did not allow a walk. However, he would not figure in the decision. Josh Hickey took the loss after pitching an inning and two-third and giving up three runs on four hits.
 
In the second game, Westmont freshman Kade Fujioka made his first collegiate start. The right-hander pitched four innings, allowing two runs on five hits to earn the win and improve his record to 4-0. Sophomore Willis Lacy, collected his first collegiate save by pitching the final three innings without giving up a run. He allowed just one hit and struck out three.
 
Westmont put a pair of runs on the board in the second inning on a two-RBI double down the right field line by Tanner Beltowski. His extra-base hit drove in McFeely, who had singled to lead off the inning, and Dunn, who had walked.
 
Jessup tied the game at two in the bottom of the fourth, courtesy of an RBI-double by Ott and an RBI-single by Jack Grant.
 
Patterson responded immediately, driving a solo home run over the fence in left-center field in the top of the fifth. The bottom of the fifth is when Lacy entered the game and pitched three scoreless innings.
 
The Warriors return to Santa Barbara to begin a four-game series with Biola next weekend. The Warriors will host the Eagles on Friday at Russ Carr Field in a doubleheader beginning at 11:00 a.m. Then on Saturday, the teams will head to La Mirada to complete the series with a doubleheader at Eagles Diamond.