By Ron Smith
March 7, 2025
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) In a NCAA Division II top-10 showdown at Russ Carr Field, #5 Westmont Baseball (18-3, 13-1 PacWest) split a doubleheader with #10 Point Loma (15-5, 11-3). The Warriors won the first game 8-7 to claim their 17th-win in a row, tying a program record. Point Loma won the second game 7-4, handing the Warriors their first loss in 34 days.
 
The 2022 Westmont team - the first to advance to the NAIA World Series - was the first to win 17 straight games. The following year, the 2023 NAIA World Series Championship team, also recorded 17 straight victories. That makes this year's consecutive wins the third 17-game winning streak in four years.
 
Today's first game was won by the Warriors in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the ninth with Zach Yates picking up his third win of the year. Yates pitched the eighth and ninth innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out five. Bryan Peck started the game and went six innings, giving up three runs on nine hits.
 
The Sea Lions struck first, scoring a single run in the top of the first inning on an RBI-single by Josiah Rodriguez that scored Aiden Arriaga from second.
 
Westmont tied up the game at one run each in the bottom of the second. Jesse Di Maggio, who was three for five in the game, started things off with a lead-off double. The freshman advanced to second on a single to left by Isaac Veal, then scored on an RBI-ground ball by Shane Hofstadler.
 
In the top of the third, Point Loma's Jake Entrekin powered a two-run home run over the right field fence to give the Sea Lions a 3-1 lead. Owen May, who scored on Entrekin's blast, had reached on a single up the middle.
 
Westmont took one run back in the bottom half of the third. With one away, Bryce McFeely singled up the middle. Then with two outs, he advanced to second on a passed ball. After Jack Bollengier walked, Di Maggio delivered an RBI-single up the middle, making the score 3-2.
 
The Warriors scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-3 lead. Hofstadler led off the inning and tied the game on a 409-foot home run to left field. Colin Callahan then singled up the middle before Daniel Patterson walked. That brought up Michael Soper who doubled to right field, driving in Callahan. Soper would record four hits in six at bats in the game.
 
In the sixth inning, Westmont added three more runs to go up 7-3. A lead-off single by Patterson was followed by Soper's second double of the day. With McFeely at the plate, a wild pitch allowed Patterson to score and Soper to take third. Then, McFeely single to center to drive in Soper.
 
Grant Yzermans replaced McFeely at first base and stole second on a 2-2 pitch. The throw from the catcher sailed into center field and Yzermans scampered to third on the error. Dunn then sent a ball to right-center field, driving in Yzermans on the sacrifice fly.
 
In the top of the eighth, the Sea Lions sent 10 men to the plate and scored four runs, tying the game at seven. The first two runs scored when Bryson Hashimoto tripled into the right field corner, driving in Rodriguez and Jake Schwartz. Hashimoto then scored when Levi Ham singled to right. The final run scored on a bases-loaded walk to Darrin Cho.
 
The score was still tied in the bottom of the ninth when Hofstadler led off with a double to right center on a 2-1 pitch. Orion Medeiros pinch ran for the Warrior catcher before Callahan produced a bunt single that advanced Medeiros to third.
 
That turned the lineup over and brought up Patterson. The Sea Lions intentionally walked the Warriors' lead-off man to load the bases with no outs. Soper, who already had three hits including two doubles, stepped to the plate and worked the count full. The senior second baseman fouled off a pitch before driving the game-winning RBI-single into the gap in left-center field and giving Westmont the 8-7 win.
 
The second game started badly for the Warriors. With two away in the opening frame, Entrekin homered over the center field fence, driving the ball 399 feet. Later in the inning, Ham produced a double to left center with the bases loaded, driving in three runs.
 
In the bottom half of the initial inning, Soper was hit by a pitch with one away to give the Warriors a base runner. Soper took second on a stolen base, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. After McFeely walked, he, too, stole second. With two away, another wild pitch allowed Soper to score, making it a 4-1 game.
 
In the top of the second, the Sea Lions extended their lead to 6-1 with an RBI-double by Entrekin and an RBI-single by Cho.
 
Westmont answered with three runs in the bottom of the second. Yzermans singled to left to start the inning, then reached third when Tyler McEvoy doubled to center. A ground ball to short by Callahan looked like it would produce the first out, but the throw was high. Callahan reached first, Yzermans scored and McEvoy advanced to third on the play.
 
Patterson popped the ball up along the left field line, but deep enough for a sacrifice fly to score McEvoy. Callahan alertly took second on the play at the plate. Then, Soper singled through the right side, moving Callahan to third. Then, McFeely drove in Callahan on a fielder's choice, making it a 6-4 game.
 
Unfortunately, that was all the runs Westmont would muster. Point Loma added one more in the top of the fifth on an RBI-single by Matt Bernath, which accounted for the final score.
 
The two teams will meet up again on Saturday to complete the four-game series with another doubleheader beginning at 11:00 a.m.