FULLERTON, Calif. – Looking to earn a series split on the final two road dates of the season, Jessup was in Fullerton Monday to take on the No. 12 ranked Hope International Royals. After an early lead was lost in game one, the Warriors left with a win in game two thanks to some much-needed insurance runs.
 
Game one started exactly how the Warriors wanted, as they worked HIU starting pitcher Isaac Guerrero's pitch count to 31, plating two runs in the process. The first came on a one-out double from Nicholas Hadd, driving in Kevin Jordan Jr., who scored all the way from first. Jordan Yu would tack on the second run, driving in Hadd with a single.
 
Yu notched his second RBI of the day in the third, another single that plated Jordan. With runners on the corners, Jessup took advantage as Max Modeste reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Mike Shoenberger to score.

Ahead 4-0, the game completely shifted as the Royals hit two third-inning home runs, one of which was a three-run shot to even the score. The Royals would hit five home runs in game one as they scored 15 unanswered runs, taking the opener 15-4.
 
Danny Chavez got the starting nod in Tuesday's opener. He was pulled after 4.1 innings of work and allowed nine runs on seven hits and two walks.
 
Hope International continued to use the long ball in game two, as a two-run home run off Max Moreno had the Royals out to a first-inning 2-0 advantage.
 
Jessup loaded the bases in the third and took advantage of some free passes, as a walk to Nick Kasparian and a hit-by-pitch for Kawaiola Takemura evened the score at 2-2. The Warriors would take the lead for good in the third when Hadd hit a solo home run, his first of the season.
 
The Warriors got one more insurance run in the third when Dante Peretti drove in Shoenberger with a single up the middle.
 
Again with the bases loaded in the sixth, Jessup was one pitch away from squandering the opportunity before Yu launched a two-out, two-strike pitch over the fence for a grand slam, setting the score at 8-2. The insurance runs proved to be needed as HIU plated a pair in the bottom half, but that was all as Jessup stole the series finale 8-4.
 
The win allowed the Warriors to play spoiler in the GSAC West, as HIU entered the finale 0.5 game ahead of Vanguard. With Tuesday being the Royals' regular-season finale, a win would have clinched the GSAC West Division title and a guaranteed spot in the GSAC Championship series.
 
Moreno earned the win in game two, pitching five innings as his record improved to 5-5. Yu came in to pitch two innings of relief work on top of his work at the plate.
 
The Tuesday split moves Jessup back to .500 on the season as they now sit at 21-21 overall (12-16 GSAC).
 
With one more series remaining on the schedule, the Warriors will look to finish the year with a winning record as they welcome San Diego Christian to McBean this Sunday and Monday. In their previous meeting, Jessup swept the four-game set, outscoring the Hawks 47-19. First pitch Sunday is slated for noon.
   
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).