SLATERDAY

By Brandon Petersen

Slater Theisen delivered again when the Warriors needed him most Saturday, striking out seven over four strong innings as Westcliff rolled past Justice, 13–2.

The right-hander battled through traffic but kept the Lions in check, allowing two runs on six hits setting the tone early with swing-and-miss stuff and keeping momentum squarely on the Warriors' side.

"Slater, again, he comes in every single time we need him and he comes in clutch for us," head coach Dylan Hoffman said. "He's someone we're really starting to lean on quite a bit now. He's very reliable."

Westcliff's offense ensured the outing would be more than enough.

The Warriors erupted for five runs in the opening inning and never looked back, finishing with 13 runs on 13 hits while drawing 11 walks in a relentless offensive effort.

Patrick Morgan opened the scoring with an RBI single before Nick Malvini and Carson Kawaguchi added run-scoring hits. Kolby Wagatsuma lifted a sacrifice fly, and Kailen Kimata capped the inning with an RBI single to give the Dubs a quick 5–0 lead.

Kimata struck again in the third with another RBI knock, and the Warriors continued to pile on throughout the afternoon.

Jack Varney doubled home a run in the sixth and later scored on a balk before Landon Raskin added an RBI single in the seventh.

Westcliff put the finishing touches on the rout in the eighth inning, highlighted by Ian Carr's two-run single that stretched the lead to 13–2 and ended the contest a half-inning early.

Alex Chacon paced the offense with a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate, while Kimata drove in two runs and Raskin reached base four times.

Meanwhile, the bullpen made sure Justice never mounted a comeback. Brendon Demuth tossed three scoreless innings in relief before Justin Guzman closed things out in the eighth.

The offensive surge continues a strong start to the month for the Warriors.

"The bats have been great," Hoffman said. "We're really excited heading into Cal State Bakersfield with the bats being hot. Being 4-0 in the month of March has been really exciting for us."

Just as encouraging for Hoffman is the atmosphere surrounding the team as the season begins to build momentum.

"The vibes are high. This is probably the best it's ever been," Hoffman said. "Everyone's playing for each other and finding ways to be gritty."

The Dubs travel to Bakersfield Tuesday for an 11 a.m. start.