John Collins drove in Vanguard's first run of the day in the bottom of the second inning with an RBI fielder's choice to give the Lions a 1-0 lead over the Warriors, but the hosts answered with two runs in the bottom of the second off Vanguard starting pitcher Ruben Orosco.
The Lions reclaimed the lead in the top of the third when Adonis Tountas and Brandon Young tallied RBI-hits for the Lions, taking a 3-2 lead over Westmont starter Torin Shaikh.
Vanguard's Ethan Harper socked an RBI-single in the top of the fourth, but the Warriors erased VU's 2-run lead with three hits and a pair of runs, tying the game 4-4 at the end of four complete innings.
The Warriors chased Orosco with back-to-back hits to lead off the fifth inning. Scott Simmons took the hill for the Lions, but a wild pitch by Simmons plated the go-ahead run for the Warriors. Westmont added another run before the Lions called on senior Tucker Woods. Westmont's fourth hit of the inning stretched the hosts' lead to 7-4.
Trailing 8-4 heading into the top of the seventh inning, the Lion offense rallied to a five-run inning to earn the lead again. Tountas singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on Westmont's first of two errors in the inning. Young was hit by a pitch, setting the stage for a two-run single from Hank Yates. The Warriors brought in their second reliever of the game but he was greeted by a three-run home run by Michael Castello, charging the Lions into a 9-8 lead.
Vanguard's lead would hold until the bottom of the eighth inning. Desperately fighting for a playoff position, the Warriors bounced back with a two-run round-tripper by Tim Leary off Vanguard reliever Terry Unruh.
The Lions were retired in order in the bottom of the ninth as Mitchell Crocker (5-3) pitched the final 2.1 innings to earn the victory for the Warriors. Spencer Moran pitched the last .2 innings for the visitors but Unruh took the loss for the Lions, dropping to 0-2.
The Lions were first to score again in game two as Alec Rosales launched a sacrifice fly to left field in the top of the second inning. Castello singled home VU's second run in the top of the third, but the Warriors responded with four runs in the home half of the third. The four-run outburst off Vanguard starter J.R Bromberg would be all the Warriors needed for the win as Westmont starting pitcher Mitchell Crocker hurled a complete game at the Lions, allowing just two runs on nine hits in nine innings of work.
Westmont added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, and a pair of runs in the eighth off VU reliever Scott Simmons, extending the deficit to 8-2. The Lions left four runners on base in the last five innings but could not break through offensively against Crocker, who earned his sixth win of the season.
Castello, Yate, and Rosales combined for seven of VU's nine hits in game two, while Bromberg (4-5) was charged with the loss.
Today's results leave VU, WC, and FPU in a three-way tie for fifth, but FPU and WC will win the tiebreaker overall Vanguard and claim the final two playoff berths over the Lions who end the season 23-21 overall and 13-19 in GSAC.
