Rios Shines but Dubs Fall Late to Chapman

By Brandon Petersen

The Westcliff baseball team's late inning struggles reared their ugly head once again Saturday at the Great Park, where the Warriors surrendered a three-run lead in the final two frames to fall to Chapman 8-6. 

The loss wasted a gem of a start from Eddie Rios, who gave up three runs in the first, but was filthy from that point forward, going six and a third with eight strikeouts. 

The Warriors are without their closer, Julian Tristan, as he works his way back from a hamstring injury. 

Evan Rocha blasted a three-run shot in the bottom of the fifth, and Eddie Rivero tripled later in the frame to put a crooked four on the board and give the Warriors a 6-3 lead. 

Rocha (2 R) finished 3-for-4 and just missed another homerun in the fourth on a shot that bounced off the fence in left. 

Rivero (SB) went 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI. 

Caleb Castanchoa picked up an RBI in the bottom of the first on a single that scored Daniel Esqueda. 

Robby Wheeler had a nice game behind the dish and hit a triple, one of three the Warriors collected on the day (Rocha, Rivero). 

Esqueda finished 2-for-4 and Nolan Wasson (R) went 1-for-4 with a laser-shot double. 

Once again, it was some good, some bad for the Warrior offense, which racked up 13 hits, but also went down swinging 16 times. 

The Warriors head to Chapman tomorrow to wrap the brief two-game series with the Panthers. 

First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Orange.