BROKEN RECORD

By Brandon Petersen

Hand it to the Providence Christian Sea Beggars – they are a program on the rise.

Typically, Westcliff hasn't had too much trouble overcoming their neighbors to the north.

But this year has been different. Providence gave Westcliff all it could handle in a Game 1 pitching duel a couple of weeks back, and on Friday, the Sea Beggars picked up a 4-2 win over the Warriors in Glendale.

But Westcliff responded as the Dubs have done all season, and clapped back with a dominant Saturday, winning 11-6 and 11-2, both at Oaks Christian in Thousand Oaks.

"The Sea Beggars are a different team this year," Westcliff skipper Dylan Hoffman said. "The challenge they gave us has never been like this in the past. A lot of respect to coach (Eric) Fuller and the guys over there."

But for the Warriors, who broke a program record Saturday with their 25^th win of the season, this year has already been transcendent – and holds the potential for so much more.

With a lineup that has been mashing, and a deep pitching rotation chalked full of solid starters and arms out of the pen, the Warriors have controlled their destiny all season.

With a huge series against Simpson coming up, a strong finish to the regular season would place the Warriors in position to make a lot of noise come North Dakota.

"We are looking to improve and fine tune all aspects of our game," Hoffman said.

Currently, the Top 3 teams in the Cal Pac are separated by two games in the loss column, and Simpson actually holds a one-game advantage over the Warriors.

With series against both Simpson and La Sierra coming up, it's literally anyone's ballgame at this point.

Justin Guzman got the start for the Warriors in Game 1 Saturday but got the hook after allowing two earned in the first. Kyle Douphner then came in and pitched the next five, allowing three earned on four hits to collect the win.

Cameron Witte (three Ks) secured the save with three innings pitched.

Patrick Morgan (three RBIs, three runs), Ian Avalos (two runs, RBI), Nick Malvini (RBI), Kolby Wagatsuma (RBI) and Micah Wallette (three runs, RBI) all had a pair of knocks.

Domingo Gaxiola was fantastic in a Game 2 start, lasting six and two-thirds, scattering six and allowing just two earned on eight strikeouts.

"Our pitching was great today," Hoffman said. "We came into today knowing the importance of these games and we competed every single pitch."

Both Avalos (three RBI) and Morgan (three RBI) went yard, with the latter extending his Westcliff all-time single-season home run record to 11.

Wallette picked up another double and two RBIs, Malvini drove another home and Zane Parmenter knocked in three on a two-hit afternoon.

"Our bats were hot all weekend, even in the game we lost we had a lot of hard outs," Hoffman said.

The schedule is simple down the homestretch, a home series with Simpson, an away series at La Sierra, and a couple of single-game tune-ups at Hope – perhaps the best opponent to tune-up against in the whole country.

It's all ahead of the Warriors.

Now it's time to finish.

First pitch at No. 8 Hope is scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m.