ROYAL FLUSH

By Brandon Petersen

The Westcliff baseball team is too good to be talking about moral victories after ending up on the wrong side of a sweep, but Saturday's two losses at No. 2 Hope were, at the very least, a sign of progress for a program clearly on the rise.

No need to flush this one – some valuable lessons were learned.

A year ago, the Dubs got drubbed by the eventual national champs.

This year, the story was much different, and if the Warriors could have found just one more knock in Game 2, they may have collected a split.

The black-and-white of it: 5-3 Game 1 loss, 5-4 Game 2 loss.

The Warriors now stand at 9-4.

"Our pitching was great against the reigning champs," Westcliff skipper Dylan Hoffman said. "That kept us in both games. Our defense was smooth and on lock down."

Both great signs.

Hoffman said the bats struggled, and the Warriors had the tying run 90-feet away in the top of the 9^th in Game 2, but couldn't capitalize.

Westcliff has nine wins in its pocket already due in part to the fact that so far, it has raked at the plate.

Hoffman says, however, sometimes the Warriors' aggression at the dish needs to be swapped out for discipline.

The consistent, "Next Man Up" mentality is what the Dubs are trying to establish before league play starts.

"We're looking to improve our approach and discipline at the plate to really take our game to the next level," Hoffman said. "I believe in this group, and I know we potentially have one of the best teams in the country once we put it all together.

"It takes the entire roster to be great."

Both Justin Guzman and Domingo Gaxiola were solid in Game 1.

Guzman allowed four earned on five hits, before making way to Gaxiola, who went four and a third, allowing one earned on five scattered. Gaxiola struck out a pair.

Jack Varney went yard once again and both Christian Bartholomew and Miguel Espana had doubles.

Joseph Guttmann and Zane Parmenter had RBIs.

"Our bats struggled, but we found ways to compete," Hoffman said. "Which shows what we are truly capable of doing once we find the true meaning of what we are looking for at the plate."

In Game 2, Camden Cooper did the bulk of the work, going four and two-thirds.

Cooper struck out six – not unusual.

He also walked three, which was an aberration, and helped lead to his five earned allowed.

Tyler Linnel (three strikeouts) and Cameron Witte (three strikeouts) combined on a scoreless three and a third to close it out.

Bartholomew's single in the ninth made it 5-4, but that's where the threat ended.

Two hits and two batted in was Bartholomew's line.

Parmenter picked up another ribbie, as did Ian Avalos.

The Warriors welcome Bethesda for a single game Tuesday at the Great Park.

First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.