Westmont’s struggles continued on Thursday afternoon as the Warriors dropped the second game of a four-game series against Concordia by a score of 7-2 at Russ Carr Field.
The Warriors fell to 15-20 on the season and 7-16 in Golden State Athletic Conference play. Concordia improved to 20-16 overall and 11-14 in conference play.
Chris Plance (3-2) suffered the loss for the Warriors. The right-hander pitched seven innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on eight hits. He struck out two and did not issue a walk. Mitch Crocker pitched the ninth inning giving up two runs on three hits. Pete McCarthy closed out the ninth and retired the side in order.
Concordia’s Brent Clapper (5-4) earned the complete game win, allowing two runs on six hits. Clapper struck out six and walked three.
In the second inning, Fukushima tripled to left-center with one-away and Phil Prickett smashed a full-count offering from Clapper up the middle to give the Warriors their first run of the game.
Concordia scored three runs in the top of the third innings. Ryan Sheeks was hit by a pitch from Place to start the inning. One out later, Sheeks moved to third when Danny Casey singled through the right side.
Sheeks scored on a controversial bunt single by Robbie Knowles. Plance fielded the ball near the first baseline and the Warriors were convinced that he had tagged Knowles out. But home plate umpire Allen Williams said Plance missed the tag, leaving runners at first and second with one away and the score tied at one-all.
Both Casey and Knowles scored when Tyler Derby tripled, hitting the ball off the right-center field fence.
J.J. Turbin led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a solo home run over the right field fence, accounting for the Warriors other run.
In the top of the seventh, the Eagles added two more runs when Knowles scored on a ground ball to second base by Derby. Derby later scored on a single up the middle by Matt Ivanoff.
The final runs for Concordia came in the eighth, the first on an RBI double by Sheeks that scored Cliff Benson. Sheeks then scored on a RBI-single by Casey.
The two squads will conclude the series on Saturday when they meet in Irvine for a doubleheader beginning at noon.
