LINCOLN, Calif. – The eight-month wait for baseball to return came to an end on Friday as the Warriors welcomed Antelope Valley for an Opening Day doubleheader. On a day the Warriors will want to remember 50 percent of the action, Jessup recorded a split as they start the year 1-1.
Friday's opening game was dominated on the mound, and at the plate, by the home side. Jessup piled on runs as they looked to be setting up for a great day, starting with a 10-2 victory.
Left-hander
Max Moreno was given the ball as Jessup's Opening Day starter. Moreno lasted five innings, surrendering one run on two hits, walking two while striking out five.
On Moreno, head coach
Trevor Paine stated, "Max was really efficient. Pitching off his fastball well and was able to throw his third and fourth pitch for a strike. Really what you look for in a fourth-year guy who has thrown a lot of innings for us to not get caught up with any nerves or anything."
Jason Riviello followed Moreno in relief, and he looked very sharp. Riviello tossed three consecutive scoreless frames before serving up a solo shot in the ninth. His one run over four innings came on two hits and a strikeout.
The Warriors saw the big inning come in the third, thanks to a grand slam from
Dylan Cole, putting his side ahead 5-1. The Warriors would take on three more in the fourth, followed by two in the fifth, giving them a commanding 10-1 lead.
Jessup was also stealth-like on the basepaths, swiping four in the opener. The Warriors stole a program record 82 a season ago.
"As an offense, we want to score runs," added Paine. "Stealing bases is something we've tried to get better at these last couple of years. And just pushing the tempo, you know, and get those big swings in those big situations."
Game two, however, was a different story.
Antelope Valley jumped on the Warriors fast, launching two balls over the wall in the first inning. But they did not stop there as the Pioneers hit three more homers in the second. All total, UAV hit six home runs in game two, while Jessup recorded just five base hits.
Receiving the loss in the opener was freshman Keola Yim, as Yim surrendered eight runs over 1.1 innings of work.
Mason Azevedo,
Preston Brook, and
Richard Vidal all followed in relief.
Paine noted that while the score was lopsided in the 14-0 loss, he reminded his guys that you are never out of it at McBean Park.
"You can tell pretty early how the yard is playing, and yeah, I always say any lead when the wind is blowing out at McBean, you kind of cut it in half."
The Warriors will be looking to take the series tomorrow as the rubber game of this three-game set is slated for 11 a.m.
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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 Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).
