COSTA MESA – The ninth-ranked Vanguard baseball team fought valiantly but lost 10-7 to No. 6 Westmont in front of perhaps the biggest and most boisterous crowd to ever grace Dean Harvey Field on Wednesday afternoon.
The Lions dropped to 42-11 on the season.
What Happened?: Initially an 8-0 victor in Saturday's first game of a doubleheader, the Lions were forced to replay the game at the point of Westmont's protest. In the bottom of the fourth, Tommy Rodriguez (JR/Yucaipa, CA) hit a ball down the right field line that the umpires initially ruled an inside-the-park home run. However, the Westmont protest centered on the umpires holding their hands up in the air to signal a dead play, as the Warrior right fielder could not retrieve the ball.
The GSAC Conduct and Ethics Committee reviewed the protest and ruled that the umpires erred, and upheld the protest, forcing the Lions to restart the game in the bottom of the fourth with one out and Rodriguez on second.
In a game that featured a combined 20 pitchers, 454 pitches and a throng of VU students and staff, the Warriors found their offense after getting outscored 27-6 in the previous four Lion victories.
VU issued 10 walks, six wild pitches and two balks, yet still battled until the final out.
The Lions overcame a 3-0 deficit with a five-run explosion in the sixth, punctuated by a mammoth two-run shot from Chad Sutton (SR/Scottsdale, AZ), his 10th of the season. The Lions later loaded the bases on a double, hit by pitch and a walk – and Matthew Land (SR/Eugene, OR) cleared them all with a double down the right field line.
Westmont retook the lead with three runs in the ninth. However, VU tied the score at 6-6 on Land's leadoff double and a Travis Aversa (SR/Fountain Valley, CA) RBI single.
The game went into extra innings for the first time at Dean Harvey Field this season. Westmont reclaimed the lead at 7-6 with a run in the 11th inning.
In the bottom half with one out, Joe Johnson (SR/Medford, OR) sent a blast well over the right field fence for his 13th home run of the year to tie the score again.
Vanguard had runners on first and second in the 12th, but could not capitalize.
The Warriors scored the winning runs in the 13th to complete a game which lasted roughly four days and an additional six hours.
What Was Said?: "To all Lion fans, thank you for the support!" said Head Coach Rob Pegg. "Despite the outcome, it was the best atmosphere I've ever been a part of at Dean Harvey Field."
What's Next?: Vanguard is the No. 3 seed in the Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament, which runs May 2-5 at the OC Great Park. The Lions play No. 4 seed Arizona Christian at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, May 2.
