COSTA MESA, Calif. - Back on the road again this weekend, the Warriors hit the field in Costa Mesa to begin GSAC play against the No. 18 ranked Vanguard Lions. Jessup was forced to rally and ultimately dropped both in Friday's doubleheader after getting behind early in both games.
"I'm disappointed with the results, but I thought we competed well most of the day," said Head Coach
Trevor Paine after the game. The duo of losses pushes Jessup's record to 8-4, 0-2 in GSAC.
Jessup got on the board first in game one, thanks to a third-inning sacrifice fly from
Kawaiola Takemura. After Vanguard tied it in the bottom half, the Warriors denied Vanguard the opportunity for a shutdown inning when
Dante Peretti put the Warriors on top with an RBI double.
Vanguard went on the attack at that point, tacking on three runs in the fourth to go ahead. The big blow came in the seventh as the Lions plated five runs, two of which came off bases-loaded walks, to push the lead to 10-2.
The Warriors made a late surge in the eighth, thanks to a
Jordan Yu double that drove in two. Jessup would send five runners home in the eighth to match the Vanguard efforts in the seventh, but a three-run homer in the bottom half ended the comeback and set the score at the eventual final, 13-7.
On the hill in game one was
Danny Chavez. After back-to-back strong outings to start his Jessup career, Chavez lasted 5.2 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits while striking out four.
Game two was a much lower scoring affair, but it got off to a quick start as leadoff hitter
Mike Shoenberger blasted a solo shot to put Jessup ahead 1-0. It was Shoenberger's third home run of the year.
Vanguard struck for a homer of their own in the bottom half, a two-run shot to put them ahead 2-1. The Lions would score two more in the sixth off a triple to right-center.
Again needing to rally, the Warriors began to chip away at the deficit thanks to another RBI double from Peretti. Shoenberger added to his day with an RBI single in the seventh, but Jessup would strand the tying run in scoring position as they dropped game two 4-3.
"There were a couple of bad innings in each game that was the difference," added Paine. "I'm excited to see how we respond tomorrow trying to salvage the series. It starts with good outings on the mound and goes from there."
At the dish, Shoenberger went 3-for-9 with a pair of RBI and two runs scored. Peretti finished the day 4-for-7 with three RBI.
Getting the starting nod in game two was
Max Moreno. Moreno tossed 5.1 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He struck out six while walking two.
The Warriors and Lions will be back on the diamond tomorrow for games three and four of this four-game series. First pitch from Costa Mesa is scheduled for 11 a.m.
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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 and Instagram).
