COSTA MESA, Calif. - Ninth-ranked Vanguard (34-11, 21-8) welcome (RV) Westmont College (25-17, 18-11) to Dean Harvey Field for the start of the final GSAC series of the season. The Warriors outlasted the Lions 11-9 in Game One and then held on 4-1 in the back half of the double header.
What Happened? In the first inning of play, both dugouts were full of energy knowing what was on the line this weekend. Vanguard strung together consecutive hits and then moved the runners over on a wild pitch. It would not matter as Joe Johnson (JR/Medford, OR) smashed a three-run shot just inside the foul pole to give the Pride a 3-0 advantage. The lead held until the top of the third when the Warriors their own moon shot – which closed it to a 3-2 score. After the Blue and Gold stranded a pair of runners, Westmont took the lead in the fourth, before the Lions could punch an out. Once again, the Lions left two runners on the bases in the bottom of the fourth frame. During the inning, things got away from the Blue and Gold as the Warriors took an 8-3 advantage. Vanguard chipped back into the game via a two-run shot from Grady Conner (SR/Costa Mesa, CA) and then a solo home run from Kevin Miser (JR/Ridgefield, WA) during the next at bat. The next time the Warriors were up, they tossed a trio of runs onto the scoreboard to take a commanding 11-6 advantage. With two outs away, Johnson smashed a homerun off the scoreboard to cut it to a 11-8 margin and then Aaron Zubiate (SO/Alta Loma, CA) scored off a single from Conner. Entering the ninth inning, Westmont clung to a 11-9 lead.
The offense picked up right where it left off for the Warriors, tossing up three runs in their first trip to the plate. It remained unchanged until Westmont added a fourth run in the top of the fourth inning on a solo homer. In their next at-bat, Landon Riker (SR/Marysville, WA) opened the inning with a single and then later scored on a sacrifice fly from Omar Ortiz (SR/Las Vegas, NV). Trailing by three runs, Vanguard had the bases loaded in the sixth inning and could not plate any of the runs.
Why It's Important? With just one weekend of games left to go, the GSAC West Division crown is still up for grabs between Westmont, Vanguard, and Hope International. During the series in Santa Barbara earlier this year, the Warriors won the first two and the Pride took the last half of the doubleheader. However, all four games were highly contested. With the two victories by the Warriors today, the Lions needed to take both games tomorrow to earn the top seed in the GSAC.
Top Performers: In Game One, Johnson was the top dog going 3-4 with five RBI and two scored runs. Conner was 2-5 with a trio of RBI and a scored run. Riker was 2-5, Ortiz was 304, and Kevin Miser was 2-4. Pitchers Tyler Armenta (JR/Anaheim, CA) and Michael Kashou (SR/Anaheim, CA) lost on the day with the former pitching 4.1 innings and the later tossing six full on the bump. All five hits for the Pride in Game Two came from lineup order 1-4 and a pinch hit from Miser.
What's Next: The Lions celebrate Senior Day tomorrow, Saturday, April 24th against Westmont starting at 11:00 a.m.
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