COSTA MESA, Calif. – After being rained out on Friday afternoon, Vanguard and Westmont took to the VU Baseball Field on Saturday for a Golden State Athletic Conference doubleheader. The Warriors pocketed the opener 10-2 and in the nightcap the Lions managed an exciting come-from-behind win (4-2).
GAME ONE
A five-run second inning saw WC jump out to a big lead early. The Warriors posted another off a solo shot by junior Brandon Gildea (Stockton, Calif.) in the third to go up by six.
The Lions' runs came in the fifth after a base hit put senior Jordan Mould (Stockton, Calif.) on first for classmate Jason Ochart (Glendale, Calif.) who smashed his first homerun of the year over the left field fence.
Westmont tallied a pair of runs in the sixth and one run in the seventh and ninth innings to take the conference victory by the final of 10-2.
Senior Travis Tomsen (Riverside, Calif.) (1-2) took the loss for Vanguard. He started the game and went one inning before being replaced.
Junior Torin Shaikh (Santa Ana, Calif.) earned the win for Westmont.
Ochart went 2-4 with 2 RBIs and senior Matt Avery (Los Alamitos, Calif.) went 3-4 for the Lions.
GAME TWO
Westmont sophomore David Gabel (San Diego, Calif.) put the Warriors on the board in the second inning with a homerun to left, but VU quickly made up ground, tying the game later in the inning after senior Ellis Whitman (Seattle, Wash.) registered an infield single to score junior Francisco Torres (Cathedral City, Calif.). Torres reached base with a double to lead-off the bottom of the second.
Just as quickly as the Lions brought the game to even, the Warriors scored again to claim a 2-1 advantage in the third.
The Pride had a chance to tie later in the frame but stranded Ochart on third as the inning came to a close.
In the fifth, Whitman doubled and was brought home on a base knock through the right side from senior Nikko Tountas (Lincolnwood, Ill.) to even the score at 2-all.
Torres started the sixth with a single to shortstop and Mould reached on an error before sophomore Taylor McKnight (Mission Viejo, Calif.) reached on a fielder's choice to bring Torres around and give VU the 3-2 edge. Junior John Collins (Fallbrook, Calif.) brought the Lions' fourth run in two batters later with a single through the middle.
The Lions' senior closer Kevin Ponzo (San Dimas, Calif.) entered the game in the seventh and did his job to post his fourth save of the season.
Third-year Richard Perry (Fontana, Calif.) garnered his first win of the year on the mound for the Blue and Gold. He threw six innings, allowed four hits and struck out two Warriors' batters.
Torres and Whitman each tallied a pair of knocks for the Pride in the win.
With the split, Vanguard moves to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in GSAC play. Westmont's record is 7-5 on the year and 4-4 in conference.
Westmont will return to the VU Baseball Field on Monday to make-up Friday's rained out contest. The game will begin at 2:00pm.
-GOLDPRIDE-
