Five Westmont pitchers allowed just five hits over nine innings as Westmont Baseball (6-6) defeated Corban of Oregon (2-2) by the score of 7-2 at Russ Carr Field.
With a three-game Golden State Athletic Conference series starting tomorrow, Westmont head coach Robert Ruiz rested his usual starters both on the mound and in the infield. He also opted to pull his relief pitchers from among those who have seen less playing time.
Junior Shane Turner, a transfer from Missouri Baptist, started for Westmont but struggled with his control. After giving up two runs and loading the bases with two outs in the first inning, Turner was replaced on the mound by senior Devin Matson.
Matson coaxed a ground ball out of right fielder Lathan Alger to end Corban’s threat. He then went on to pitch four more innings, allowing just one hit. Matson would eventually be credited with the win.
“It started off on a rough note and put us back on our heels a little bit,” acknowledged Ruiz. “Devin came in and single-handedly changed the momentum and direction of that game.”
Westmont did not take long to even the score, producing two runs in the bottom of the first. Michael Frigon reached on an error to lead off the inning and then stole second. One out later, designated hitter Brandon Gildea delivered the first of his three singles, moving Frigon to third.
A single through the right side by Will Barring drove in Frigon and advanced Gildea to second. First baseman Alex Bush hit a ground ball that could have ended the inning, but the relay from second went wide of first and into Corban’s dugout, allowing Gildea to cross home plate and even the score at two runs apiece.
The Warriors added another run in the third on an RBI double down the left field line by Bush that drove in Gildea from second base.
Stephan Pollex made the score 4-2 in the fourth inning when he hit a solo shot over the fence near the right field foul pole for his third home run of the year.
In the fifth inning, Alex Bush stepped to the plate with Gildea and Barring at second and first respectively. Bush tripled to deep left center to extend Westmont’s margin to 6-2. Brent Fukushima came up next. After driving a hard foul ball into Westmont’s dugout and scattering the Warriors, Fukushima straightened out the next pitch just enough to stay inside the left foul line for a double that scored Bush.
Steven Larson, a right-handed from San Diego, took over on the mound and pitched the sixth and seventh without allowing a hit.
“Steven made his first college appearance and did a great job,” noted Ruiz. “He competed in the strike zone and gave us two clean innings. As a sophomore, Sam Sheehan made his second appearance of the year (in the eighth inning). He put himself into a little bit of a hole, but I was really glad to see how he pitched out of it with the double play ground ball and then striking out the last batter.”
In the ninth inning, Ruiz put Gildea on the mound to finish off the game.
