LINCOLN, Calif. – What a Senior Day it was at McBean Park as the Warriors gave their fans not one but two victories to think about on the drive home. Playing to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Warriors pieced together a comeback unlike any other as they swept Saturday against the No. 8 ranked Vanguard Lions.
 
The story of Saturday begins in the top of the seventh in game two, as head coach Trevor Paine made an unconventional move, sending his centerfielder to the mound. Kevin Gutierrez looked like a veteran in his first collegiate outing as he recorded a shutout inning.
 
But work was to be done as Jessup entered the final frame trailing 8-2.
 
Kayde Iranon sparked some hope as he led off the seventh with a solo shot. The hope grew to a fever pitch as Gutierrez added his own run support, crushing a three-run blast that had the Warriors down one. After a Dustin McElwain RBI single, the stage was set as the Warriors had two on in a tie game.
 
Up to bat, who else but Iranon. The man who started the comeback ended it as his fly ball got caught in the heavy wind and fell, sending home the winning run in a 9-8 victory.
 
The heroics of game two followed what was the best outing of the season for Christian Winston, who tossed 6.2 innings in game one. Winston recorded 8 strikeouts in the opener, allowing just one earned run in his performance.
 
Paine discussed his starter's performance, adding, "Christian was really good today and I just kind of knew with the elements that it would be a tough day to pitch with the wind blowing straight out. But he gave us the best chance to just miss bats or have them put the ball on the ground. For the most part, I thought he did exactly what he could do."
 
Nicholas Hadd stole the show in game one, as he came off the bench in the middle innings and quickly produced a 2-for-2 day with 5 RBI. Hadd added an RBI triple in game two to cap off his day at the plate.
 
"He's been out for a few weeks, and we haven't had the opportunity to give him some at-bats in practice yet," said Paine on Hadd. "But he's the type of guy where that doesn't really matter, and you could just throw him into a game, and he'd be ready to hit."
 
Paine looked to Marlin Brucato to close the door, and that's exactly what he did. The righty, pitching for the final time at McBean Park, tossed the final 2.1 innings en route to a winning decision.
 
By picking up two victories, the Warriors now lead OUAZ by a full game for the final spot in the GSAC postseason.
 
Just one more series sits on the schedule for the Warriors as they will end the year in two weeks at Menlo College. If the Warriors continue to win, they will qualify for the 2022 GSAC Tournament, which begins the first week of May.
 
"The big thing right now, with the week off, is we need to get healthy," added Paine on ending the year on the right note. "I thought today we played some of the cleanest baseball we've played all years in terms of playing good defense and playing good catch. So I think we carry that into Menlo weekend and get the bats going a little bit throughout the game, and I think we'll be in good shape."
   
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).