By Ron Smith
February 21, 2026
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont Baseball (9-2, 6-2 PacWest) completed a four-game sweep of Vanguard (4-10, 1-7) by taking both ends of a doubleheader at Dean Harvey Field on Saturday afternoon. The Warriors won the first game 9-2 and then claimed the second 3-0.
 
Warrior pitching, which allowed just six runs over the four games, put Westmont in position to win. In the early game on Saturday, junior Joey Rico started on the bump for the Warriors and earned the win. He pitched six innings allowing just one run on five hits. He struck out five and did not surrender a walk.
 
Freshman Nick Romero earned his first collegiate save by pitching the final three innings. He allowed one run on two hits, struck out three and walked one.
 
In the second game of the day, freshman Matt Vazquez pitched a shutout of seven scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. Vazquez needed just 96 pitches to bring the game to its conclusion. Along the way, Vazquez struck out five batters.

"Joey Rico and Matt Vazquez did a really nice job today getting us into late innings," said Westmont's head coach Paul Svagdis.
 
Offensively, the Warriors combined for 13 hits over the two games.

"Regardless of the results," said Svagdis, "I felt like our players swung more aggressively at pitches up the the zone.
 
Westmont took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning of the first game. With Isaac Veal on first courtesy of a walk, Griffin Brown sent a 3-2 pitch over the left-field fence.
 
In the top of the fourth, Brown ripped a lead-off single into center field. One out later, Jack Zerkel walked, resulting in Warrior runners at first and second. That brought up Rolen Reyes. Svagdis called for a hit and run on the first pitch. With Brown and Zerkel taking off with the pitch, Reyes singled into right field. Brown scored from second and Zerkel advanced to third.
 
Next, Zach Mora laid down a bunt to first. Zerkel easily scored while Reyes was thrown out at second. That gave Westmont a 4-0 advantage.
 
Vanguard pushed across a run in the bottom of the fourth to pull within three runs. With runners at second and third and one away, Nathan Hellein sent a sacrifice fly to left to plate Tristan Gallegos.
 
Westmont tacked on a run in the top of the sixth, taking advantage of a Lions' miscue. With two away, Reyes singled to left center. Mora came to the plate and worked the count full. That allowed Reyes to take off with the pitch that Mora hit as a chopper down the third base line. The Lion's third baseman charged and fielded the ball in fair territory. However, the throw to first got past the first baseman and Reyes scored on the error.
 
Vanguard once again came within three runs in the bottom of the eight when Angel Perez hit a solo home run down the left field line to make the score 5-2.
 
Westmont blew the game open in the top of the ninth inning. A lead-off walk by Mora was followed by a single to left by Grant Yzermans. Colin Callahan laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Yzermans and Mora up one station.
 
With first baseball open and Jesse Di Maggio at the plate, Rob Pegg, the Vanguard head coach, elected to intentionally walk Di Maggio – perhaps recalling Di Maggio's grand slam the day before. That brought up Veal who hit the first pitch he saw over the left-field fence – the second grand slam in as many games for the Warriors.
 
The second game remained scoreless until the top of the third. With one away, Zerkel singled to left field, then stole second base. After Mora walked, Svagdis called for a double steal on the first pitch to Yzermans. The ball was thrown wide of third base by the catcher and headed into foul territory. Zerkel picked himself up after his slide into third and scored with ease. Mora, with the play in front of him, never broke stride and reached third.
 
Then, with a 1-1 count and the third baseman playing on the edge of the grass, Yzermans blistered a ball that ricocheted off the third baseman's glove for a base hit and an RBI. That gave Westmont a 2-0 lead.
 
Westmont added one more run in the top of the third. Aaron Jacobsen led off the inning and walked on four pitches. Orion Medeiros replaced Jacobsen at first as a pinch runner and stole second on the second pitch to Jaden Mingus. Mingus then hit the next pitch down the left field line for an RBI-double.

"Orion has been an incredible senior leader," noted Svagdis. "When we brought him in to pinch run, he got a great jump and scored a big run to put us up three. He had a great focus and is a terrific teammate."
 
Vazquez returned to the mound in the bottom of the fifth and had to get out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam. He did so by striking out James Derflinger. After pitching a three-up-three-down sixth inning, Vazquez returned for the final and seventh inning. After a flyout to left netted the first out, Vazquez struck out Andrew Olsen for the second. A Warrior error allowed a baserunner at first, but Vazquez seemed to take it in stride and proceeded to strike out Bennett Vondrak on four pitches (0-2 count), bringing an end to the game and the series.
 
Next up for the Warriors is a four-game series with the Eagles of Biola (7-7, 3-3) on Friday and Saturday, February 27 and 28. The Friday doubleheader will be played in La Mirada on Eagles Diamond. Westmont will host the Saturday doubleheader at Russ Carr Field. First pitch is at 11:00 a.m. on both days.