LANCASTER, Calif. – With eyes on a series victory and more, the Warriors hit the diamond Saturday for a doubleheader with the Antelope Valley Pioneers. The day started on the right foot, but time was not on Jessup's side as they would have to settle for a Saturday split.

"I'm proud of the way we competed all weekend," said head coach Trevor Paine. "We were short handed today and guys stepped up. Rodriguez and Brucato were great out of the pen and we did a really good job of extending the lead late in the game."
 
Infielder Jaisten Cabatbat stole the show early in game one. After UAV struck first in the opening frame, Cabatbat evened the game with an RBI single that plated Dustin McElwain. Cabatbat later came around to score, giving the Warriors a 2-1 lead.
 
It wasn't the only run Cabatbat produced, as he gave the Warriors a 3-2 lead in the sixth.
 
Jessup saw insurance runs come in the final three innings, first on an RBI from Connor Franco. Rhys DeHighden drove in a run with an RBI double in the ninth. Dylan Cole then drove in a run and later scored, pushing the Warriors to a 7-3 victory.
 
Isaiah Rodriguez picked up his first win of the season after throwing three innings of shutout ball in relief. Marlin Brucato earned his second save of the season, closing the door with four innings of work.
 
The big hits Jessup cashed in on in the opener seemed to run out, as in game two, the Warriors managed to get only one base hit.
 
UAV took a 3-0 lead in the first, but the Warriors climbed back within one in the third thanks to an RBI from Joseph Hayden, who later came around to score off a wild pitch.
 
Jessup loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh, but the rally yielded no runs. Finally, in the top of the eighth, Jessup tied the game at three on an RBI groundout from Kevin Gutierrez.
 
UAV struck for three runs in the bottom of the eighth, and that would be all, as at the conclusion of the inning, the umpire crew called the game due to darkness.

"Game two we did a great job of fighting back from an early hole and that game could have gone either way," added Paine. "To go on the road and win a series against a good opponent like UAV it speaks a lot about the toughness of the guys in our dugout."
 
Jessup gets the series victory, taking two of three on the road. They move to 4-1 on the season.
 
The Warriors are back home next weekend, starting the first of back-to-back home series against opponents from Oregon. The homestand begins on Friday when the Warriors take on Oregon Tech. The following weekend, Bushnell University will come to town.
 
Single-game tickets and season passes for this season are currently on sale at jessupathletics.com/tickets.
   
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).