COSTA MESA – The ninth-ranked Vanguard baseball team took two giant steps toward winning a Golden State Athletic Conference regular season title on Friday at Dean Harvey Field, defeating No. 6 Westmont by scores of 4-0 and 10-2 in doubleheader action.
The Lions moved to 41-10 overall and 22-8 in GSAC play. The 41 wins represents the most for the program since 1987. The Warriors fell to 39-8 and 23-7 in conference action, owning a one-game lead over VU with two to play.
VU needs to take two more gargantuan steps to claim the GSAC crown on Saturday. The Lions need to win twice to earn at least a share of the title. Westmont needs one win to capture at least a co-championship, as Hope International also remains in the mix for a share of the title. The Royals are currently 22-8 in league play.
The Lions utilized a combination of solid pitching and the long ball to overcome the Warriors on a sunny and windy Friday afternoon.
What Happened? Game 1: Lucas Bixby (JR/DeWitt, IA) improved to 9-0 on the season as the right-hander got three runs of support in the fifth inning and another in the sixth.
Bixby lasted 6.1 innings, allowing five hits and four walks while striking out six. He allowed the Warriors a two-out double in each of their first two at-bats, but escaped both times. Bixby kept Westmont without a hit from the third through fifth innings, surrendering just a pair of walks over that stretch.
In the sixth, he yielded consecutive two-out singles but again wiggled out of trouble as Paul Mezurashi popped out to end the threat.
Brian Peck was impenetrable for Westmont through the first four innings as he retired the first 12 Vanguard hitters. He struck out the side in the second and racked up five whiffs through four.
However, the Lions dented his armor in the fifth on one swing. Joe Johnson (SR/Medford, OR) hit a towering, opposite field shot into left center for his team-leading and career-best 12th home run of the season. Johnson ranks third in the GSAC in home runs. In addition, it was the first baseman's 50th RBI of the 2022 campaign.
Chad Sutton (SR/Scottsdale, AZ) followed with a single. With one out, Tommy Rodriguez (JR/Yucaipa, CA) singled through the left side to put two runners aboard. Peck got the second out and appeared to be headed toward getting out of trouble. But Isaiah Lee (SR/Santa Ana, CA) and Matthew Land (SR/Eugene, OR) stroked consecutive run-scoring singles to center as the Lions extended their lead to 3-0.
Vanguard tacked on an insurance run in the sixth thanks to Aki Buckson (SR/Silverdale, WA), who used his speed to help manufacture the 4-0 advantage. He legged out an infield single to lead off the inning and advanced to second as the Westmont third baseman made a poor throw in an attempt to get Buckson at first. Buckson moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch, and came home on Johnson's sac fly to right.
Westmont got a pair of runners on in the seventh and eighth but to no avail. Bixby allowed a single to Ryan Desaegher and a walk to Robbie Haw to start the seventh, then was lifted with one out in favor of reliever Quincy Vassar (JR/Brewster, WA).
Vassar faced just one batter as he hit Simon Reid with a pitch to load the bases. The Lions called on Caden Byers (FR/Murrieta, CA), who induced Thomas Rudinsky into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
Byers tossed 1.2 innings of one-hit ball and Jared Greer (SR/Anaheim, CA) mopped up in the ninth with another scoreless inning.
The Lions posted their fourth shutout win this season. In addition, it was their first shutout of Westmont since February 10, 2018.
Six VU players recorded a hit in the game, while Johnson finished with a pair of RBIs.
Game 2 – The Lion bats caused plenty of damage to back starting pitcher Justin Graves (JR/Irvine, CA), who tied Bixby and Westmont counterpart Eric Oseguera for the GSAC lead with nine victories.
Westmont again flirted with trouble in the first as two runners were aboard with one out. Graves got a pair of groundouts to end the threat.
The Lions exploded for six runs in the second against Oseguera, who entered the game with a sub-2.00 ERA and a 9-0 record.
Sutton led off with a bomb to left, his ninth home run of the year. Rodriguez walked and stole second, setting the table for Dane Nakatsuka (JR/Laguna Niguel, CA)'s RBI single to right for a 2-0 lead.
Lee successfully sacrificed to Nakatsuka to second, but both runners moved up an extra base as the Warrior first baseman committed an error on the play. VU catcher Luke Arias (JR/Spring Valley, CA) took advantage, cashing in both Nakatsuka and Lee with a single up the middle.
Land continued the big inning with a bunt single to put runners at first and second. Travis Aversa (SR/Fountain Valley, CA) laid down a sac bunt to advance both runners, and Buckson drove in pinch runner Elijah Weeks (SR/Murrieta, CA) with a groundout to short. VU added its sixth run on Johnson's single to right, his third RBI of the series.
VU expanded the lead to 7-0 as Rodriguez led off the third with his fourth home run of the season.
Rudinsky responded for the Warriors as he homered in the fourth – the fourth time in the doubleheader that either a VU or Westmont player led off an inning with a shot.
Westmont climbed to within 7-2 as the Warriors got the first three runners aboard via two walks and a single. Josh Rego's sacrifice fly plated one run, but Graves battled back with consecutive strikeouts to squash the rally.
The Lions essentially put the game out of reach with a three-run fifth. Rodriguez walked and stole second for the second time in the game, and Nakatsuka delivered his second RBI single.
Lee followed with his third home run of the year off Westmont reliever Sam Kim as the Lions led 10-2.
Graves struck out nine in 6.0 solid innings. He gave up five hits and two runs while walking just two in improving to 9-2 on the year. It was the fifth time in his last six starts that Graves allowed two runs or less.
The Lions compiled 10 hits with Johnson and Rodriguez getting two apiece. Nakatsuka, Lee and Arias all had two RBIs.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions did what no other team in the GSAC had done this season – sweep Westmont in a doubleheader. VU kept alive its chances to win a GSAC regular season title.
What Was Said?: "Proud of the compete level and execution today," said Head Coach Rob Pegg. "The whole team played a role."
What's Next?: The Lions and Warriors end the regular season on Saturday with a doubleheader. First pitch of game one takes place at 11:00 a.m. The seven-inning second game follows 30 minutes later.
The Lions will honor their 13 seniors with a postgame Senior Day ceremony.
