GOOD AS IT GETS

By Brandon Petersen

You don't have many days in baseball as good as Friday was for the Warriors at gorgeous Ben Hines Field in La Verne where they swept Justice, 13-3 and 10-3 in a nine-and-nine double dip.

The Dubs got a pair of relaxed and dominant starting pitching performances, aided by an explosive day at the plate.

All told, the Warriors scored 23 runs and got a pair of awesome lines from Cameron Witte and Chris Gonzalez.

To wit: In Game 2, Gonzo went six full, allowing just two hits and striking out seven.

To start the day, Cameron Witte went an inning further, scattering five and allowing just two earned while collecting six Ks.

Skipper Dylan Hoffman was impressed with Witte after Game 1.

"Cam Witte was ready from the start," Hoffman said. "He gave us a good chance to win, and even if our bats weren't hot, he gave us a strong chance regardless."

Witte is a hard-throwing right-hander who has carried the load as Westcliff's No. 1 as many in the rotation have dealt with lingering injuries.

Friday, he showed the potential he has to go deep into games and deliver meaningful innings for the Warriors.

Meanwhile, the bats, well, they showed up, yet again.

Ryan Duron went Beastmode at Cal Lutheran, but before this scribe took a much-needed staycation, it was Patrick Morgan who had worked his way out of a short slump with an electric day in LA last weekend and nearly blasted his way into the record books in Game 1.

Morgan hit three doubles to start the game, one shy of the Westcliff single-game record, and looked every bit the beast himself in doing so. Good to see Patty off the schneide.

"Yeah, Patrick Morgan, he's seeing beach balls right now," Hoffman said. "He had a little struggle a couple weeks ago, but we never lose faith with him. We know the kind of bat he has, and we know the maturity level he brings to us, and we're always ready and excited to see him at the plate."

Landon Raskin absolutely destroyed baseballs all afternoon, racking up three doubles of his own, and Jack Varney got in on the party early and often as well, sending one to the fence early in Game 1, then coming around courtesy of Captain Morgan.

Raskin was praised by Skip afterward, as was Kolby Wagatsuma, who crushed a pitch that may have been out in a shorter park in Game 2.

"We're excited to see his bat start moving," Hoffman said. "He's another guy who's really stable for this team when he's hot."

Hoffman also praised the defensive stalwarts, Varney and Nick Malvini, both of whom once again delivered in the clutch – Malvini and Varney have been among the Warriors' most consistent RBI producers in important spots this season.

But it was the leather that stole the show, as both Varney and Malvini turned in diamond gems in Game 1.

"Yeah, we know exactly what we have with Varney and Malvini," Hoffman said. "Two defensive wizards. And some of our top bats as well. So, we're very fortunate to have them. And they're understanding the roles right now.

"And really, having a (Ian) Carr going in to really protect Malvini afterwards as well. We trust him. We trust everyone here, and that's one of the biggest things that we haven't had here consistently throughout our years as a program."

Game 2: Warriors 10, Justice 3

Haiden Letzing had a bizarre Game 2 -- not one he'll soon forget.

The Westcliff first baseman replaced Jack Varney midway through, then was promptly hit by pitch in each of his three at-bats. As if that wasn't enough, he capped it off by stealing home.

Not exactly the type of stat line one might expect from the 6-foot-3 Vancouver native affectionately dubbed by a select few as "Big Maple."

Letzing, known for his good nature perhaps a skosh more than his speed, took advantage of an opportunity created by Justice's pitcher, who decided to work from the wind-up with the bases loaded. Perhaps he too wasn't expecting Haiden to head home.

But skipper Dylan Hoffman saw the opening, gave Letzing the green light, and the big man broke for the plate, nabbing the dish like Rickey Henderson in his prime.

The steal capped a massive sixth inning in which the Warriors erupted for 10 runs, turning a scoreless game into a commanding 10-0 advantage.

Patrick Morgan led the offensive surge with three hits and three RBIs, including a two-run double in the sixth. Nick Malvini added a three-run double during the rally, while Alex Chacon and Carson Kawaguchi also delivered RBI hits.

Westcliff finished the game with 13 hits and six walks, consistently pressuring Justice pitching throughout the frame.

On the mound, Shunta Furuya and Daniel Vendl combined to close out the final three innings after Gonzo's day was through.

Justice pushed across three runs in the eighth inning, but the Warriors' sixth-inning explosion proved more than enough as Westcliff secured the 10-3 victory.