FULLERTON, Calif. – Jessup baseball hit the road for Southern California this weekend to take part in a three-game conference series against the Hope International Royals. After dropping the first two games of the series, the Warriors battled their way to extra innings in the series finale before surrendering the winning runs, heading home on the wrong end of a series sweep.
Hope International got out to a quick start in Friday's series opener, as the Royals played three runs in the bottom of the first. The Warriors would get a run in the second off a throwing error, but a solo home run in the third inning would place the Royals' lead back up to three. Jessup scored again on an error in the sixth, but it wouldn't be enough as Hope took the game 5-2.
Jessup used nine different pitchers in the game, with each one tossing just one inning. The loss was handed to Danny Vietti who started the game. Dominic Potlongo earned the win, pitching five innings while allowing just one run (unearned) on three hits.
Second baseman Joshua Duitsman got the Warriors on the board to start game two, as he hit a solo home run in the top of the first. After scoring two runs to take the lead, the Royals pulled ahead by five off a grand slam in the fourth. Two runs in the fifth cut the lead to three, and the Warriors added runs in the ninth with one coming off a solo homer from Justin Chase.
Hope took game two by the final of 9-5, with George Castillo earning the victory as he allowed just three runs over six innings of work. Calvin Bonilla earned the loss, pitching 3.2 innings while allowing six runs (two earned). Tristan Pryblinski and Manuel Velasquez combined for 4.1 innings of relief work.
Jessup took a quick three run lead to start the series finale, with the first run of the day coming off yet another first inning home run from Duitsman. The Royals tied the game in the seventh off a two-run homer, and the score would remain tied after nine, sending the game to extra innings.
The Warriors scored in the tenth off a squeeze bunt, but a solo shot in the bottom half tied the game. Hope would walk off with an RBI single in the bottom of the tenth. Sam Curtis got the loss after 2.2 innings of relief, while Justin Moulds earned the win in relief.
Jessup will get back on the diamond this upcoming weekend, as they return to their home field of McBean Park in Lincoln. Jessup will play host to San Diego Christian College for a three-game series this weekend, set to begin on Friday. First pitch Friday is slated for 2:00 p.m., and the series will conclude with a doubleheader on Saturday.
***
William Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on William Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: William Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat).
