By Ron Smith
April 26, 2025
 
(COSTA MESA, Calif.) Westmont Baseball (37-11, 32-9 PacWest), ranked fourth in Division II, cut their magic number to two in a split of a doubleheader at Vanguard (28-22, 24-20) on Saturday. The Warriors won the first game 6-0 before falling to the Lions 3-4 in the second.
 
Joey Rico improved to 4-2 with a seven-inning start in the early game. Rico allowed just five hits while keeping the Lions off the scoreboard. He struck out three and walked two.
 
Zach Yates pitched the final two innings, allowing just one hit, striking out one and issuing no walks.
 
The Warriors tallied three runs in the first inning that started with a double down the left field line by Grant Yzermans. One out later, Daniel Patterson singled to center field, driving in Yzermans and giving the Warriors a 1-0 lead.
 
When Bryce McFeely doubled to left, Patterson advanced to third. Then, Trey Dunn singled to left to plate both McFeely and Patterson.
 
The score remained 3-0 until the top of the sixth, when McFeely led off with a double down the right field line, then took third when Dunn flew out to center. A single by Jesse Di Maggio through the left side scored McFeely.
 
In the top of the ninth, Westmont added two insurance runs. With one away, Yzermans singled to center and then reached second on a wild pitch. Another wild pitch, which was also ball four to Michael Soper, gave the Warriors runners on the corners.
 
With Patterson at the plate, Soper broke for second. When the throw was made to prevent the steal, Yzermans sprinted home. The throw to second was cut off and redirected home, but Yzermans slid in safely, completing the double steal that made the score 5-0.
 
When the inning continued, Soper stole third and Patterson walked. Once again, Westmont had runners on the corners. Patterson advanced to second on a wild pitch before McFeely walked to load the bases with Warriors.
 
A ground ball by Dunn resulted in the second out of the inning, but also allowed Soper to reach home, completing the scoring.
 
In the second game, Westmont took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. With one away, Dunn and Jack Bollengier delivered back-to-back singles, giving the Warriors runners at first and third. A groundout to second by Di Maggio allowed Dunn to score.
 
However, the Lions answered back with two runs in the bottom of the second. The first on a ground ball by Tyler Shigenaka that drove in Christopher Famolaro, and the second on an RBI-single by Jarred Mazzaferro that scored Tristan Gallegos.
 
Vanguard took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly to left by Levi Hall that brought home Josh Schleichardt.
 
Westmont tied the game at three in the top of the fourth. With two away and runners at first and second, Di Maggio singled to right field, driving in Patterson and moving Dunn to second. Andrew Guidara followed with another single to right that allowed Dunn to score.
 
However, Vanguard retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Gallegos scored on an RBI-double by Mazzaferro.
 
While the Lions would not score again, the Warriors were retired in order in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, bringing the game to a close.
 
Westmont has two games remaining in the regular season - the make-up games against Azusa Pacific that will be played on Thursday. May 1.
 
#23 Point Loma (32-12, 28-10) is in second place in the PacWest. The Sea Lions have six games remaining in the regular season. Two against Azusa Pacific (20-26, 18-22) on Monday and four against Jessup (30-16, 27-13) next Thursday and Friday.
 
Any combination of Westmont wins and Point Loma losses that adds up to two (or more) will mean the Warriors have clinched the PacWest Regular Season Championship and earned the number one seed in the upcoming PacWest Tournament.