SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Vanguard baseball scored 16 combined runs in its two Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament games on Friday, but struggled defensively, allowing 22 runs against No. 7 San Diego Christian in game one and 17 runs in its second game versus No. 24 Westmont and was consequently eliminated from tournament play.

In the opener, The Pride quickly produced six runs, scoring three in the first and three in the second to take a 6-0 lead on the Hawks, but San Diego Christian responded with eight runs in the third, seven in the sixth and six more in the eighth to win decisively and advance to Saturday's championship game.

Vanguard posted additional runs in the sixth and eighth frames to bring its total to nine, but could not counter for its four fielding errors and pitching woes and fell 22-9.

Starter Clayton Voechting (SR/Temecula, CA) (7-5) took the defeat after 2.1 innings on the mound.

Nick Rodda (SR/Santa Rosa, CA) was strong offensively, leading the Lions with his 3-for-5 effort at the plate. He also managed an RBI and two runs scored in the affair. Taylor McKnight (JR/Mission Viejo, CA) paced the Blue and Gold with a team-best three RBI via a single in the first and a two-run homerun in the sixth, while Thomas Mobley (SR/Anaheim, CA) and Michael Flores (JR/Dinuba, CA) also notched two hits apiece in the opener.

The loss dropped VU into the loser's bracket in the double-elimination tournament, giving the Lions little time to regroup as game one ended at 3:35 pm and game two began at 4:15 pm.

In the nightcap, McKnight was excellent, going 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI, but once again the typically strong VU pitching staff struggled, giving up 21 hits and 17 runs to the Warriors' offense.

Westmont led from start to finish, despite VU posting two runs in the fourth and five in the seventh.

The loss went to starting hurler Scott Torrey (JR/Simi Valley, CA) (7-4), who pitched 3.1 frames and allowed 13 hits and 13 runs.

Bret Collins (JR/Manhattan Beach, CA), Brandon Sandoval (FR/Fallbrook, CA) and Ian Sakry (SR/Long Beach, CA) made the most of their final 2014 GSAC Tourney game with three, two and two knocks, respectively, for The Pride.

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