Junior catcher Mark Magdaleno sent a two-run home run over the right-center field fence in the sixth inning as Westmont baseball defeated Trinity International (Ill.) by a score of 5-1 on Friday afternoon at Russ Carr Field. Magdaleno was three-for-four at the plate.
“The pitcher wasn’t throwing very hard so I was trying to stay up the middle,” said Magdaleno about standing at the plate with two outs and teammate Mark Boujikian on first base. “I was trying to extend the inning and didn’t want to be the last guy up. The pitcher left the ball up, I put a good swing on it and I was able to capitalize on the mistake he made. But I couldn’t have done it if Boujikian had not extended the inning and made him pitch some more.”
Sophomore starter Keith Johnson picked up the win, giving the Warriors seven innings of work. The right-hander allowed one run on just three hits. He tallied eleven strikeouts including striking out the side in order in the top of the fourth inning.
“At the beginning, I was a little rusty because I hadn’t pitched in two weeks,” said Johnson. “So I was just trying to throw strikes. At the beginning of the game we were throwing a lot of fastballs and then in the later innings a lot of curve balls.”
Johnson was relieved in the eighth inning by Bill Sharp. The freshman gave up a bunt single followed by a single to left to start out the inning. But Sharp struck out the next three batters to end the Trojans’ threat.
Junior left-hander Dan Price pitched the ninth inning for the Warriors, retiring all three batters which he faced.
“Our pitchers were tremendous today,” said Magdaleno. “Keith had a great curve ball today. He really shut them down with it. Bill came in and got in a tough situation but was able to battle out if it. Price is just Price. He comes in and works hard and he shut them down like he always does.”
“Johnson threw really well and as a team we needed that,” said head coach Scott Deck. “Our pitching staff needed that because they have been battling. We’ve had a lot of games where we have gone into the seventh, eighth or ninth inning with the lead and haven’t finished off. Bill Sharp, our freshman, came in and got in trouble, but then got out of it. Fifteen strikeouts by the pitching staff help. It limits the number of balls that get put into play.”
Trinity International (1-6) scored its only run in the top of the second inning, earning the distinction of being the first to put a run up on the new scoreboard which debuted today in right-center field. With two away, Johnson surrendered a walk to right-fielder David Bauguss. Designated hitter Cameron Nicewander then stepped to the plate and drove in Bauguss with a double to right-center.
The Warriors tied the game in the bottom of the third inning after Magdaleno hit a leadoff single to centerfield. Westmont designated hitter Colton Christianson did the same, giving the Warriors men on first and second with nobody out. One out later, courtesy runner Charles Whitman, who had replaced Magdaleno on the base pads, scored on another single to center, this one by third baseman Jordan Bottenfield.
The Warriors’ second run came in the fifth inning. Center fielder Tyler Maddox led off with a single to left and then stole second base. After Bottenfield lined out to centerfield, Maddox stole third base. Maddox scored when right fielder Brent Meschuk hit a grounder to second base.
After the two-run blast by Magdaleno in the sixth inning, the Warriors added another run in the eighth. First baseman Sam Wiley extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a leadoff triple to right-center field. Two outs later, Boujikian doubled to left-center to drive in Wiley.
“We’ve played really good baseball lately,” said Deck. “Our guys are getting a lot more confident. They are starting to expect to win and expect to play at a high level. If we can finish strong, that would put us in the right direction.”
“The win is just tremendous,” said Magdaleno. “We really needed to get back on track before our games tomorrow. Hopefully this will carry over to tomorrow and (we will) come out and play hard again.”
The Warriors (4-20) return to Golden State Athletic Conference action tomorrow when they host Vanguard in a doubleheader beginning at noon.
“Vanguard is very talented,” said Deck. “They brought in 13 Division I and JC transfers. We are going to expect a good dogfight tomorrow.”
