Westmont Baseball (22-23, 12-19 GSAC) got off on the wrong foot in its three-game series with Arizona Christian (24-17, 17-17). The Warriors lost Friday afternoon’s Golden State Athletic Conference at Russ Carr Field game by a score of 9-1.
Torin Shaikh (4-5) took the loss for the Warriors. He pitched five innings, giving up five runs (three earned) on six hits. He struck out three and allowed one intentional walk.
Arizona Christian’s Tanner Tripp received the win after pitching seven scoreless innings in which he allowed seven hits. He struck out seven and walked one.
In the top of the first inning, Shaikh retired the first two batters before giving up a base hit to Seth Neely. Neely reached second on a wild pitch and then scored when Phil Creecy pounded the ball over the left-centerfield fence for a two-run home run.
The Firestorm added an unearned run in the top of the fourth inning after Orrin Sears reached on an error with one away. A ground ball by Joel Thys advanced Sears to third. Trevor Santor delivered a single through the hole between short and third to drive in Sears.
After Arizona Christian loaded the bases in the top of the fifth, Sears drove a ball into centerfield to drive in two more runs. As a result, the Firestorm took a 5-0 lead.
In the top of the eighth, Westmont freshman Turner Conrad came off the bench to make a heads-up play at third base. With runners on the corners, Conrad fielded a sharply hit ground ball and attempted to tag on Sears at third base. Sears scrambled back to third and was called safe. Conrad alertly rifled the ball to first and retired the batter, Santor.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, Sears, along with Jake Storrer, later scored on an RBI double down the left field line by Jake Wakamatsu. Wakamatsu also scored in the inning when Daniel Pereira reached on an error. The Firestorm made it 9-0 when Tyler Osborne doubled to left field to drive in Pereira.
The Warriors got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth. David Gabel produced a lead-off single to left and advanced to second on an error. One out later, Will Barring singled to centerfield, driving in Gabel.
With five games remaining in the regular season, Westmont finds itself in a tie for sixth place with Vanguard. The Warriors are three and one-half games out of fourth place, which is the last place that qualifies for the GSAC Tournament.
There are still several scenarios under which the Warriors can make the playoffs, but all of them require the Warriors to at least four of their remaining five games, including Westmont’s two games against Arizona Christian tomorrow. Westmont will also need help from teams that are playing Biola and San Diego Christian.
Tomorrow’s doubleheader with the Firestorm begins at noon
