By Ron Smith
February 7, 2026
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) In two closely contested games, Westmont Baseball (3-0) took both ends of a doubleheader on Saturday at Russ Carr Field, defeating Cal State San Bernardino by scores of 9-7 and 8-7. The nightcap required a come-from-behind effort and ended on a walk-off hit.
 
Six pitchers took the mound for the Warriors in the early game with Joey Rico pitching the first three innings and Nick Romero, who earned the win, pitching two and two-third innings. Rico allowed one unearned run on two hits, striking out six. Romero gave up three hits but no runs, striking out four.
 
The Coyotes jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Eddie Alfaro drove in Jeremy Giesegh from third on a single to left.
 
Westmont responded in the bottom half of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. Jesse Di Maggio singled through the left side, then one out later, Grant Yzermans homered to right-center field – a 339-foot blast that left the bat at 97 mph.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, a two-out rally led to four Warrior runs. After Tyler Beltowski walked, Isaac Veal produced an infield hit that moved Beltowski to second. Griffin Brown came up to bat and hit an RBI-single to right, driving in Beltowski and moving Veal to third. That brought up Zach Mora who pounded a three-run home run 356 feet over the left field fence, giving Westmont a 6-1 advantage.
 
The Warriors tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth. After Kaden Petersen delivered a pinch-hit single up the middle, Jack Zerkel came in to pinch run for him. Zerkle stole second, then scored on a single to left by Beltowski.
 
In the top of the seventh, San Bernardino narrowed the lead with a two-run home run by Alfaro down the left field line.
 
Westmont took one run back in the bottom of the seventh. With Colin Callahan at first, a single up the middle by Di Maggio gave the Warriors runners at the corner. Then Rico singled to center, driving in Callahan.
 
In the top of the eighth, however, the Coyotes posted four runs to pull within one (8-7). With the bases loaded and two away, Dom Dominguez singled through the left side to plate Benji Solano.
 
A wild pitch allowed Derek Hurtado to score from third before Alfaro singled to left to drive in Giesegh. Then Dominguez scored on another wild pitch.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Westmont added another run without the benefit of a hit. With one away, Beltowski was hit by a pitch, then stole second. One out later, Beltowski took third on a wild pitch, then scored on a balk.
 
In the top of the ninth, Solano walked and was still at second two outs later. Then Keedan Nadeau was walked, giving the Coyotes runners at first and second. Manny Soto, who had pitched the ninth inning the day before, was called upon to take the mound and bring the game to an end. He collected his first save of the year by coaxing Giesegh into flying out to center, bringing an end to the game.
 
As close as the first game was in the late innings, the second game proved to be even more of a nailbiter.
 
As it did in each game of the series, San Bernardino scored a single run in the first, this time courtesy of a double by Alfaro that drove in Giesegh.
 
The Warriors also followed the pattern of the previous games, taking the lead in the bottom of the first. This time, the lead was secured courtesy of the long ball. The first two runs came off the bat of Joey Rico whose 411-foot home run to right brought home Di Maggio. Beltowski's solo home run to right, which measured 345 feet, accounted for the third run of the inning.

Westmont made it 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth. Beltowski led off with a ball off the top of the fence in left field that resulted in a double. Brown then hit a ball to the fence in right field, driving in Beltowski. Later in the inning, with men at first and second, Mingus poked a dribbler to the right side of the infield, bringing home Veal.
 
The complexion of the game changed in the top of the fifth. With the bases loaded with Coyotes, Juni Rodriguez pounded a ball over the fence in right field for a grand slam. That tied the game at five runs apiece.
 
Then in the top of the sixth, Dominguez hit a two-run home run to right that traveled 430 feet. After Westmont went one-two-three in the bottom of the sixth, San Bernardino took a 7-5 lead into the seventh and final inning.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, minutes from sunset, Mora led off and reached on an error. Mingus walked and Zerkle took his place at first as a pinch runner. Then Di Maggio walked and Orion Medeiros pinch ran for Di Maggio.
 
With the bases loaded, Rico worked the third walk in a row, this one bringing home Mora and making the score 7-6. That brought up Yzermans whose sacrifice fly scored Zerkel and tied the score at seven runs apiece.
 
Castillo then came to the plate with runners on first and second. On a two-two pitch, Castillo drove a ground ball past the second baseman and into right field. Mederios rounded third and headed home. The throw from right field to the plate was too late. Mederios crossed the plate and the team charged from the dugout to celebrate with Castillo his walk-off RBI-single.
 
Castillo, a junior academically, battled injury his freshman and sophomore years and did not play. This weekend was the first time he had played in a collegiate game.
 
Reagan Gayle, a redshirt sophomore, who was playing in his first collegiate game, pitched the final inning and one-third, and was awarded the win. Matt Vazquez started the game for the Warriors, allowing one run on four hits in three innings of work.
 
With the opening series behind them, Westmont now turns to PacWest Conference play beginning with a four-game series with Azusa Pacific next weekend. The Warriors will host the Cougars in a doubleheader on Friday, February 13, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Then on Saturday, the teams will travel to the east end of the San Gabriel Valley where Azusa Pacific will host Westmont in another twin-bill.