SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Lions won two games over No. 3 Westmont Saturday to take the GSAC series 3-1. Vanguard was led by Omar Ortiz, who scored two runs, with three hits and five RBI. The Lions improved their record to 22-10 overall and 11-5 in conference play with 16 remaining.
Game 1: Vanguard 8, Westmont 4
The Lions got on board in the second after Chad Sutton (SO/Scottsdale, AZ) singled to score Maxx Mahon (SR/Lexington, KY) who was on from a base hit of his own. In the third, VU extended its lead to 3-0 on a two run homer from Omar Ortiz (JR/Las Vegas, NV). In the bottom of the fourth, the Warriors collected a run on two hits to close in on the Lion lead. Vanguard responded with a lone run in the top of five after Landon Riker (JR/Marysville, WA) rocketed a home run. Westmont tied the game at 4-4 with a trio of runs during theit next at bat. The matchup remained at 4-4 through the next three innings, until the Lions broke it open with four runs in the top of the tenth. Joe Johnson (SO/Medford, OR) started it off with a home run and a single from Mahon followed by three walks gave Vanguard an opportunity. Julio Rivera (SR/Puerto Rico) doubled to tally two more runs and give VU the 8-4 advantage entering the bottom of the inning. Ryan Daugherty (SR/Laguna Niguel, CA) got three straight outs, including two K's, to end the game and earn the win. Garrett Molnar (JR/La Habra, CA) tossed five frames, allowing only one earned run with six strikeouts.
Game 2: Vanguard 6, Westmont 3
Omar opened up game two with a home run to give VU the initial lead. In the second inning, Caleb Squirre doubled to right field and reached home on a wild pitch. The following at bat for the Lions, they posted two more runs off Ortiz's double. Tyler Steele (SR/Kingsburg, CA) held off the Warriors through the fourth, the Blue and Gold added two more insurance runs with the help of two Westmont mistakes. The Warriors closed in during the fifth inning. They tallied three off of two hits to slice the VU lead in half. Jakob Farmer (SO/Norwalk, CA) came in to finish the game for the Lions and he collected six outs while giving up only one hit to Westmont. Steele was credited the win after throwing five innings with six strikeouts.
Next Game: Friday, March 29 in a double header beginning at 11 a.m. against Ottawa University Arizona in Surprise, AZ.
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