SUNDAY SCHOOL

By Brandon Petersen

The Westcliff baseball team enjoyed a productive Sunday at Canyon High School, piling up runs in a pair of victories to sweep a unique doubleheader against two different opponents.

The Warriors' bats stayed hot all afternoon as Westcliff rolled past Bethesda 14-7 in the opener before dispatching Nobel University 12-1 in the second game, combining for 26 runs and 26 hits across the two contests.

Head coach Dylan Hoffman said the offensive surge has been a welcome sight, though the team still has areas to sharpen.

"The bats were really hot again today," Hoffman said. "Pitching came in clutch. We just need to be a little bit better with two outs. We need to have a different mentality, and that's something we're going to work on moving forward."

Warriors outslug Flames in opener

Westcliff jumped on Bethesda early in Game 1, plating three runs in the first inning before adding two more in the second to build a quick cushion.

Ryan Duron led the offensive charge, driving in four runs on a 2-for-2 day at the plate. Tyler Nelson added three RBIs while Alex Chacon and Haiden Letzing each drove in two.

The Warriors continued to apply pressure throughout the middle innings, stretching the lead to 9-3 before Bethesda mounted a brief rally with four runs across the seventh and eighth innings.

Westcliff responded emphatically in the bottom of the eighth, erupting for five runs to put the game out of reach. Landon Raskin, Letzing, Duron and Chacon all contributed RBIs during the decisive frame.

Slater Theisen earned the win on the mound, allowing three runs across four innings while striking out two. Chris Gonzalez provided two scoreless innings of relief before Daniel Vendl closed the door with two shutout frames to secure the save.

Warriors cruise past Knights

The offense didn't slow down in Game 2.

Westcliff racked up 15 hits while scoring in four different innings to run away from Nobel University, highlighted by a five-run fourth inning that broke the game open.

Jack Varney led the attack with three RBIs, finishing 2-for-2 with a double and a walk. AJ Quezada added two hits and two RBIs while Patrick Morgan, Ryan Duron and Ian Carr each drove in a run.

Kailen Kimata and Carson Kawaguchi both scored twice as the Warriors' lineup kept constant pressure on Nobel pitching.

On the mound, Brendon Demuth delivered a strong outing, allowing one run on five hits over five innings while striking out five to earn the win. Andrew Wright finished the job with two scoreless innings of relief, striking out four.

Wagatsuma heating up

Among the standout performers of the day was catcher Kolby Wagatsuma, who continued to find his rhythm at the plate.

"Kolby Wagatsuma stood out today," Hoffman said. "Two years ago when we got him he was our best hitter on the team. Last year he pulled off a little bit, but now he's finding his groove again. He's someone that's going to be huge for us down the stretch."

Westcliff will now turn its attention to a rematch with Bethesda on Tuesday, when Domingo Gaxiola is expected to take the mound.

"We know their pitching now and they know ours," Hoffman said. "But we're going to get a good start from Mingo, and we expect our bats to keep swinging."

The Warriors head up to Rio Hondo for another nine innings with Bethesda.

First pitch is locked in for 1 p.m. Tuesday.