Author: KEYT

Dave Alley

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – Official tourism data released Monday morning showed a record number of visitors spent time in San Luis Obispo County last year.

According to a Visit California economic impact report, visitation in San Luis Obispo County totaled 7.7 million in 2025, a record-breaking amount with a 3.5% year-over-year (YoY) increase.

“2025 was a breakthrough year for tourism in SLO CAL,” said Cathy Cartier, President and CEO, Visit SLO CAL. “Across the region, our visitors, partners and communities came together to build something stronger than what came before the pandemic. These results speak to the power of consistency, collaboration and shared momentum.”

The information was part of an annual tourism summery released annually each May by Visit SLO CAL, the official destination marketing and management organization for San Luis Obispo County.

Several other tourism related metrics were also part of the report, including:

$2.37 billion in direct travel spending (up 3.8% YoY)

24,580 tourism-supported jobs (up 430 jobs YoY)

$1.01 billion in direct earnings (up 5.3% YoY)

$215.5 million in total state and local tax revenue, including $112.5 million in local taxes

Tourism accounts for 9.7% of countywide GDP

7.7 million visitors (up 3.5% YoY)

As those in the travel industry celebrate the accomplishments of 2025, they are also dealing with economic challenges, such as record high fuel costs, that currently happening now as the peak summer travel season is set to start in only a matter of weeks.

Visit SLO CAL said numbers so far this year are maintaining the strong momentum from 2025 and is expecting demand to continue.

In addition, with the recent reopening of scenic Highway 1 at Regent’s Slide south of Big Sur, already visitation numbers are increasing on the North Coast and throughout the entire county.

“We know there’s economic headwinds underway, but being the proximity and location where we’re at,” said Ashlee Akers, Visit SLO CAL Marketing and Communications Vice President. “We are in a great spot for road trip destinations where you can come and explore really close to home, especially within our California drive markets.”

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) Actor and author Mariel Hemingway led a panel discussion on the final day of the first Santa Barbara Literary Festival.

The panel entitled “Women’s Health, Wealth and Happiness” got personal.

Hemingway’s panel featured ” A Boob’s Life” author Leslie Lehr and “What’s Up with Women and Money” author Alison Kosik.

Hemingway looks forward to its continuing success.

“Just the brilliance of bringing like-minds together, but slightly different and different perspectives on the world, I think it is always going to be a positive and wonderful thing, I think it absolutely has to happen every single year,” said Hemingway.

Other panels on Sunday included the Art of the script at the Karpeles Museum and a CrimeTime panel at the Alhecama Theatre and the Bespoke Print Faire at the Pico Adobe.

Readers had a chance to buy books and get autographs after each discussion.

SBLF founders Leslie Zemeckis and Larissa Rinehart plan to make it an annual event.

For more information visit http://www.santabarbaraliteraryfestival.org

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Tracy Lehr

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) The State Street closure on weekends nights is sparking controversy.

It had pop up vendors between between Cota and Ortega after midnight.

Some hotels have received noise complaints.

But people who like it said the restaurants are already closed, so it gives them somewhere to get something to eat.

Mayor Randy Rowse said he still questions the closure plan and configuration.

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Tracy Lehr

PORT HUENEME, Calif. (KEYT) A popular former mayor of Port Hueneme has died.

Anthony “Tony” Volante celebrated his 90th birthday last year.

He died in April, shortly after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Volante is being remembered for fighting to save Naval Base Ventura County during a string of base closures in the 1990s.

He will also be remembered for helping the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme.

The Knights of Columbus honored Volante has his rosary in Oxnard.

Tony Volante is survived by his wife Barbara and their children and grandchildren.

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Tracy Lehr

SOLVANG, Calif. (KEYT) A Danish artist’s work of art had a birthday.

Thomas Dambo’s troll Lulu Hyddelig turned one on Sunday

She is the first of his trolls to be indoors and permanent.

Lulu is located inside the California Nature Art Museum on Mission Dr. in Solvang.

That is where they held a birthday party with visitors.

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Mike Klan

IRVINE, Calif. (KEYT) – Tied 6-6 in the ninth inning, Cal Poly took advantage of three UC Irvine errors for a pair of unearned runs and defeated the Anteaters 8-6 in the rubber game of their Big West baseball series Sunday afternoon on Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark.

The three miscues all occurred in the infield and allowed pinch runner Antonio Castro and left fielder Dante Vachini to score the go-ahead runs for the Mustangs, who maintained their one-game lead over UC Santa Barbara in the conference standings.

The win, head coach Larry Lee’s 1,200th in 40 seasons of coaching, 740 victories in 24 years at Cal Poly and 460 in 16 campaigns at nearby Cuesta College, elevated the Mustangs’ overall mark to 27-19, the first time Cal Poly has been eight games above the .500 mark this season.

The Mustangs are 17-7 in Big West games, one game ahead of UC Santa Barbara (16-8), a 19-9 winner at Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday for a series sweep. UC San Diego (14-10) remains in third place after the Tritons were swept at Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton, swept at home by UC Davis, fell into fourth place at 13-11. Hawai’i (12-11) could move into a tie with the Titans with a win over UC Riverside as the Rainbow Warriors moved into the final qualifying spot for the May 20-24 Big West Tournament.

Cal Poly bounced back from an 11-4 loss Friday with 11-2 and 8-6 triumphs to claim its seventh Big West series in eight tries this season.

“My message after Friday’s loss was it is just one game,” said Lee. “Learn from what you did and what you didn’t do well. Win on Saturday and your odds are in your favor for Sunday.”

Cal Poly jumped to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a three-run home run to right field by Vachini, his second of the year. The advantage was short-lived, however, as designated hitter Rowan Felsch duplicated Vachini’s feat in the bottom of the second. It was Felsch, a .148 hitter entering the series, who also homered to drive in three runs and shatter a 4-4 tie in the sixth inning Friday night.

Right fielder Dylan Kordic smashed his seventh home run of the year, a solo blast to left-center field, in the third for a 4-3 Mustang lead. All seven home runs by Kordic have come in the last six weeks.

UC Irvine took its first lead with two runs in the fourth on a Cal Poly throwing error and a sacrifice fly before the Mustangs tied the game up at 5-5 in the sixth. Catcher Ryan Tayman was hit by a pitch with one out and scored on Casey Murray Jr.’s RBI double to right-center field.

Both teams scored a run in the seventh to keep the game tied at 6-6. Shortstop Nate Castellon belted his fifth home run of the year down the left-field line in the top of the frame while UC Irvine scored on a walk, sacrifice bunt and two singles, Efren Ortega collecting the RBI.

In the Mustang ninth, designated hitter Cam Hoiland reached on a throwing error with one out. Vachini singled to right field and first baseman Gavin Spiridonoff loaded the bases as his grounder to second base was mishandled for another Anteater error.

Castellon’s grounder to third was misplayed for the third UC Irvine error of the inning, allowing Castro to score. Third baseman Alejandro Garza’s sacrifice fly to left field scored Vachini for an 8-6 Mustang lead.

UC Irvine entered the series No. 1 in the Big West in fielding, averaging just 0.8 errors per contest.

“As for in-game action, we try to take the emotion out of the equation when things are not going well,” said Lee. “We try to deal in reality. It doesn’t matter how you got there. After each inning, it becomes so many innings to play and you are up, even, or down in the scoring column.”

Senior closer Nick Bonn (1-4) earned his first win of 2026 by scattering four hits over three scoreless innings with two walks and three strikeouts. Starter Corden Pettey tossed the first 3 2/3 innings for Cal Poly and Brady Estes allowed just one run and two hits over 2 1/3 frames.

The loss was charged to Anteater reliever Danny Suarez (2-2), who gave up three runs in 2 2/3 innings. Starter Hunter Manning allowed four runs over 2 2/3 frames and Ricky Ojeda was charged with a run in 3 2/3 innings.

Cal Poly’s nine hits included two each by Vachini and Murray. UC Irvine outhit the Mustangs 12-9, paced by first baseman Alonso Reyes with three singles and Ortega, Felsch and Lucas Schermer, each with a pair of hits.

Tayman threw out his 13th would-be base stealer in the first inning for Cal Poly.

Murray was 6-for-11 in the series while Castellon was 6-for-14 with three RBIs and Tayman 5-for-11. Kordic knocked in six runs in a 4-for-12 series with two doubles and a pair of home runs.

Cal Poly visits Santa Clara on Tuesday before returning to Orange County next weekend for a three-game Big West set at Cal State Fullerton.

(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics).

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Mike Klan

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KEYT) – The Santa Barbara City College Baseball team punched their ticket to the 3C2A Super Regionals by winning the Riverside Regional on Sunday, beating San Diego Mesa 15-6 in a winner-take-all final game.

Similar to Friday’s win, the Vaqueros took advantage of Mesa’s freebies in a seven-run fifth inning to blow the game open. Max Collins pitched seven relief innings to earn the win.

To get here, the Vaqueros came back to beat the hosts, Riverside, 8-7 after trailing 7-3 in the first game on Saturday. That ended Riverside’s season and, still unbeaten, allowed the Vaqueros two chances to beat Mesa to advance. Mesa won 11-4 on Saturday afternoon to trigger the “if necessary” Sunday game.

Opener Cooper Tinkey started the game with two quick outs. However, three walks and two singles followed, allowing two runs to score and forcing Collins to enter earlier than expected—and with the bases loaded. He got the first batter he faced to fly out, ending the threat.

Western State Conference (WSC) North Player of the Year William Matuszak immediately answered in the bottom half with a leadoff homer. Later in the inning, Bradley Cekada’s two-strike, two-out RBI single tied the game at 2-2.

The next three innings went scoreless. The Vaqueros broke the tie in the fifth with a massive seven runs, though, taking a 9-2 lead. Somehow, they did it with only two hits in the inning—one of which being a bunt. Five walks, two sacrifice flies, two stolen bases, two wild pitches, an error, and a hit-by-pitch did most of the damage to tilt the game heavily in Santa Barbara’s favor.

Mesa got a run in the top of the sixth, but the Vaqueros countered with four more. Cole Ide’s two-run double, a balk, and Elijah Garcia’s RBI single made it 13-3 Santa Barbara.

The result all but clinched, Mesa scored in the seventh with a solo homer. Another RBI hit from Ide and Sean Asperger’s single scored two for the Vaqueros, who now led 15-4.

Two more consolation runs for Mesa eventually chased Collins in the eighth, who scattered seven hits and allowed just one walk and four unimportant runs. Drew Cappel got the final four outs to solidify the 15-6 win, sending Santa Barbara to the Super Regionals.

Perhaps the most emblematic stat of the game is that all four of Mesa’s errors directly contributed to Vaquero runs. The Vaqueros did not commit an error on the day.

Cekada led the team with three of their 13 hits and three RBIs. Ide had two hits, two walks, three RBIs, and scored three runs. Matuszak had two hits (including the leadoff homer), three walks, and a stolen base.

The Vaqueros set themselves up for an eye-catching all-WSC North Super Regional matchup at Hancock, who won three close games over Cuesta and Grossmont to win their Regional. The top two teams in the conference, Hancock finished two games above Santa Barbara to end the latter’s streak of three consecutive conference championships. After splitting the four games between them in the regular season, they will begin their playoff series on Thursday at 2 p.m. Game two is scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. and, if necessary, a winner-take-all game three would be on Saturday.

(Article courtesy of SBCC Athletics)

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Mike Klan

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KEYT) – After grinding out a narrow win on Saturday night, the UC Santa Barbara Baseball team (30-15, 16-8 Big West) made sure there was no doubt about Sunday’s result, pouring on 14 runs over the final five innings at Cal State Bakersfield (20-28, 9-15 Big West) to run away with a 19-9 victory and a series sweep.

The Gauchos’ 19 runs are a season high and the most they have scored in one game since hanging 20 on UC Riverside in May of 2024. Their seven doubles are also a season high and the most since 2024, when Santa Barbara tallied eight two-baggers in a March meeting with Cal Poly. Five different Gauchos had multi-hit games, all of them tallying three or more, but the three hottest bats belonged to Noah Karliner, Corey Nunez and Rowan Kelly, each of whom matched or exceeded their career-best hit totals. The three of them are the first Santa Barbara trio to all have four or more hits in the same game in the Andrew Checketts era.

Nunez’s four matched his career best, Kelly set a new high-water mark in his young career with four more, while Karliner smacked five to beat his previous career best. The slugging right fielder finished a triple shy of the cycle and drove in seven runs, also a career high for him. The last Gaucho to tally seven RBIs in one game was their previous slugger, Jack Holman, who did it against the Roadrunners last May.

HOW IT HAPPENEDThe game did not start as a rout, at least not one in the Gauchos’ favor. The Roadrunners got out of the top of the first unscathed for the first time all weekend, then hung four runs on the board in the bottom of the inning. Instead, the game started as a back-and-forth slugfest, as Santa Barbara answered with a three-run second inning. With runners on the corners and two outs, Cade Goldstein’s decoy steal of second drew a throw which allowed William Vasseur to steal home, with Goldstein safely taking second on the play. That not only got the Gauchos on the board but also extended the inning for Karliner, who drove his third home run of the week out to straightaway center field, bringing Santa Barbara back within one.

After Nathan Aceves took over on the mound in the second and delivered a perfect inning, the Gauchos took their first lead of the afternoon in the third, with doubles from Nate Vargas and Kelly tying the game, then Vasseur’s single plating Kelly to put Santa Barbara in front. That lead lasted just one out into the bottom of the third before a double tied the game for Bakersfield then another gave the hosts the lead back.

The Gauchos struck the next blow, in the top of the fifth, with three two-out walks loading the bases for Karliner, who just missed his second home run of the game and had to settle for a three-RBI double off the top of the right-field wall, giving Santa Barbara an 8-6 lead. This time, the Gauchos held their advantage. Nunez led off the top of the sixth with a double and scored on Kelly’s second two-bagger of the day, then Nick Husovsky’s single into center field brought home Kelly and put Santa Barbara into double digits. Goldstein smacked the third double of the inning to right center, and Husovsky came home with Santa Barbara’s 11th run.

Bakersfield responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth, but the Gauchos just kept on scoring to prevent any threat of a comeback. Karliner led off the seventh with a single and scored on Nunez’s RBI base hit, then Vargas kept himself within touching distance of Karliner in Santa Barbara’s home run leaderboard, driving a two-run shot out to left field. That homer brought up seven homers for Vargas on the year and 14 runs for the Gauchos on the day.

The Roadrunners scored for the final time with a triple and a double to start the bottom of the seventh, but Chase Hoover was summoned from the bullpen and he put an end to that. A pair of strikeouts put out the fire in the seventh, then two more got him out of a two-on, no-outs jam in the eighth.

In the Gauchos’ half of the eighth, another hit from Karliner had scored Husovsky, but Santa Barbara had its best offense saved for the last inning, scoring four runs in the ninth. Vargas plated Nunez with a double to make it 16, Kelly singled home Vargas for run number 17, Husovsky’s single drove in Kelly with the 18th, and who else but Karliner put the cap on things with a single to score Husovsky.

AJ Krodel took the mound for the bottom of the ninth and wrapped up the sweep with a zero on the board.

UP NEXTThe Gauchos return home on Tuesday, May 5 to host Pepperdine at 4:35 p.m. at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. Santa Barbara remains a game behind Cal Poly for first place in The Big West standings, with a road trip to CSUN on the Gauchos’ calendar for next weekend.

(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics)

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Tracy Lehr

ISLA VISTA, Calif. (KEYT) A Pardall Carnival took place in Isla Vista on Sunday.

Associated Students helps put on the annual carnival to bring students and families who live in the community together.

UCSB senior Everett Manan appreciated the work that went into it.

“I love it. That’s one of my favorites about iv actually, is how like the soltopia thing they just threw like, that was sweet. There’s I mean, they got a whole Farris wheel.”

It had free food and games and prizes and rides

It gets it name from the location.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) –

Big West Baseball:

UCSB 4, Bakersfield 3: The UC Santa Barbara Baseball team (29-15, 15-8 Big West) relied on two veteran leaders to get across the line Saturday night at Cal State Bakersfield (18-27, 9-14 Big West), with four-year Gaucho Corey Nunez driving in three of his team’s four runs and Santa Barbara native Chase Hoover locking down a five-out save to secure the 4-3 victory. Nunez’s three hits and three RBIs are both season highs, with Hoover’s save his joint-team-leading fourth of the year.

HOW IT HAPPENEDThe Gauchos did all the damage they needed to do early, getting on the board with their first two plate appearances of the night. Liam Barrett walked, took second on a wild pitch, third on a failed pickoff attempt, then home on Nunez’s RBI double. Nunez would advance to third, then score on Rowan Kelly’s sacrifice bunt.

The Roadrunners responded with a solo home run off of Gaucho starter Calvin Proskey in their half of the first, but that would be all. Noah Karliner helped preserve Santa Barbara’s 2-1 lead with a laser beam throw from right field, cutting down Bakersfield’s lead runner trying to reach third base.

Even better, the Gauchos got that run back in the top of the second. Xavier Esquer punched a single through the left side of the infield, then made a good read on a ball in the dirt to get to second base, setting him up to score on Nunez’s RBI single.

Nunez was involved again when Santa Barbara extended its lead to 4-1 in the fourth, with Barrett’s one-out single preceding yet another RBI double for the Gaucho shortstop.

Proskey made that lead stick with perfect second and third innings, then by working around a pair of walks in the fourth. After the lead-off man got on to start the fifth, Cole Tryba replaced Proskey on the mound and retired the next three Roadrunners he faced on strikes, needing just nine pitches to do it — an immaculate inning.

Walks got more ‘Runners on the bases against the Gauchos in the sixth and the seventh, though Tryba got out of the trouble both times. It was relatively easy in the sixth, with the lefty retiring three batters in a row with two more punchouts, but the seventh was more dramatic. Tryba faced loaded bases with two outs, but got out of it. His night finally ended in the eighth, though he left two runners aboard. Both of them would come home to score on a one-out double that cut the margin to one run and brought Hoover out of the bullpen.

A strikeout and a groundout got the former San Marcos Royal out of the eighth with the lead still intact, and he was perfect in the ninth. After starting the inning with a strikeout, a grounder and pop fly both went right to Nunez and the Gauchos slammed the door.

UP NEXTElsewhere, Santa Barbara got more help in The Big West standings, with UC San Diego and Cal State Fullerton both 0-2 in their weekend series and two games adrift of the Gauchos. Santa Barbara will look to complete a sweep of the Roadrunners in Sunday’s series finale, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. from Hardt Field. Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+ or by following along with live stats and a free audio-only broadcast at ucsbgauchos.com.

(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics)

Cal Poly 11, UC Irvine 2: Five shutout innings by Carson Turnquist and a 15-hit offensive attack led by five Mustangs with multiple hits powered Cal Poly to an 11-2 victory over UC Irvine on Saturday, evening the best-of-three Big West baseball series at a game apiece.

On Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark, shortstop Nate Castellon and center fielder Casey Murray Jr. each produced three hits while right fielder Dylan Kordic and second baseman Jake Downing both drove in three runs for the Mustangs, who remain alone atop the conference standings with a 16-7 record.

Cal Poly is 26-19 for the season while UC Irvine slipped to 20-24 overall and 10-13 in the Big West.

Also in the Big West on Saturday, Cal State Fullerton fell at home to UC Davis 11-5, UC San Diego dropped an 11-1 decision at Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara edged host Cal State Bakersfield 4-3. The Mustangs lead the Gauchos (15-8) by one game, the Tritons (14-9) by two games and the Titans (13-10) by three games.

Turnquist allowed just one hit, a first-inning double by Frankie Carney, while walking four and striking out five. The redshirt junior right-hander, who struck out 11 in each of his previous two outings, improved to 5-2 for the season, threw 104 pitches and topped out at 97 miles per hour with his fastball.

Josh Volmerding, making his first appearance on the mound since March 15 due to a lower body injury, retired all three batters he faced in the sixth inning, including one strikeout, while lefty Chris Downs earned a three-inning save, his first of the year, with four hits, two runs, no walks and three strikeouts to his credit.

UC Irvine starter Finnegan Wall (3-4) was removed from the game after giving up one run and two hits in 1 2/3 innings and suffered the loss.

Castellon singled three times for his 10th three-hit game of the year and 20th multiple-hit effort. Murray also notched three singles for his 13th multiple-hit game of 2026 and sixth three-hit contest. Both drove in one run — Castellon with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning and Murray with a bases-loaded walk in the first frame.

Kordic smashed a three-run home run in the third inning for a 4-0 Cal Poly lead and added a double leading off the seventh inning. He has 10 multiple-hit games this season, all two hits. Downing knocked in three runs with a bases-loaded walk in the fifth inning, a sacrifice fly in the seventh and a double in the eighth.

Kordic has six home runs this season, all in the last 19 games, and has gone 23-for-58 at the plate (.397) in those 19 contests with eight doubles and 25 RBIs, lifting his batting average 141 points to .308.

Third baseman Alejandro Garza is the team leader with 22 multiple-hit games after collecting a single and double Saturday and he drove in one run while catcher Ryan Tayman singled twice for his 19th multiple-hit contest of 2026. First baseman Gavin Spiridonoff notched a pair of RBIs by getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth inning and doubling in a run in the eighth.

UC Irvine averted a shutout when center fielder Tommy Farmer, a transfer from Texas, homered down the left-field line in the seventh inning. The Anteaters, held to just one hit in the first six innings, also bunched together a double and two singles for a run in the ninth.

With 15 hits, Cal Poly reached double figures for the 12th time in its last 15 games.

Rubber game of the series will be played Sunday at 1:05 p.m. with Cal Poly to send Corden Pettey (3-2, 4.86 ERA) to the mound against UC Irvine’s Hunter Manning (0-1, 5.00 ERA) in a matchup of freshman right-handers.

Pettey is coming off his third quality start of the season last Sunday against CSUN at Baggett Stadium, allowing just two earned runs and scattering six hits over six innings with a pair of walks and six strikeouts in the 5-2 triumph.

Manning, a 2025 graduate of West Ranch High School in Stevenson Ranch, Calif., will be making just his second start of the season Sunday. He drew his other start last Tuesday against No. 21 USC and pitched two scoreless innings with one walk and five strikeouts.

Manning also has appeared in relief 13 times and has one save and 25 strikeouts over 18 innings this season.

(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics)

PacWest Baseball:

Game 1: Westmont 2, Menlo 0

Game 2: Westmont 5, Menlo 2

A dribbler in front of the plate and a throw to first by Westmont catcher Griffin Brown resulted in the final out of today’s doubleheader with Menlo and clinched a berth for the Warriors in next week’s PacWest Baseball Championship. Westmont’s two wins by scores of 2-0 and 5-2, gave the Warriors a final regular season record of 29-19 overall and 25-17 in PacWest play.

In the first game, Josh Hickey and Manny Soto combined for a shutout. Hickey pitched the first three innings, allowing just one hit. He struck out one and walked one. Soto, who improved his record to 3-0, allowed just three hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked one.

The Warriors recorded their first run in the bottom of the second. With two away, Zach Mora doubled to right center. That brought up Jesse Di Maggio who drove a deep shot to center. Mora scored what proved to be the winning run, but Di Maggio was thrown out attempting to stretch his RBI-single into a double.

In the top of the third, Menlo’s Brayden Wilson reached on a one-out walk before Shane Aldridge sent a moonshot to deep right field. Westmont right fielder Noah Williams tracked the ball to the warning track, waited at the base of the fence, then timed his leap to catch the ball before it hit the outfield wall.

Mora started things off for the Warriors in the bottom of the fifth with a single up the middle, then advanced to second when Di Maggio walked. After Mora stole third base, Brown sent a 1-1 pitch to right field for a sacrifice fly that provided Westmont a 2-0 lead. As it turned out, that would be the final score.

With one win in the books, Westmont needed just one more to assure itself a place in the PacWest Tournament. Head coach Paul Svagdis sent Matt Vasquez to the mound and the freshman provided five innings of work, allowing two runs on four hits. As the winning pitcher, Vasquez improved his record to 4-4.

KJ Rieden earned his second save of the year by pitching two scoreless innings. Though he allowed two hits, Rieden induced two ground balls that turned into double plays to erase any threat.

Menlo scored first in the nightcap when Aldridge sent the first pitch of the game over the center field fence, giving the Oaks an early 1-0 lead.

However, a two-out rally in the bottom of the second put the Warriors on top. After Di Maggio singled through the left side, Brown and Jayden Mingus were both walked to load the bases. That brought up Williams who beat out a throw off a slow roller to short, driving in Di Maggio and keeping the bases loaded.

With the score tied, the Warriors benefited from some productive baserunning. Mingus induced a throw to second base by the Menlo catcher. As soon as the throw left the catcher’s hand, Brown broke for home. Mingus was ultimately thrown out at third, but not before Brown had put the Warriors on top 2-1.

Menlo responded in the top of the third with a solo home run to left by Jack van Gorkum, tying the game at two runs apiece.

That changed on the first pitch in the bottom of the fourth with Brown reversing the vector on a fastball and sending it 378 feet over the left field fence. The ball left Brown’s bat at 102 mph.

Then in the bottom of the fifth, Joey Rico added insurance runs with a 361-foot, two-RBI blast to right center. Rico’s home run left the bat at 104 mph and drove in Veal who had reached on an error.

Rieden and the Warriors made the score hold up through two more innings, securing that victory and the tournament berth.

The PacWest Tournament, which consists of a four-team double-elimination tournament, begins on Wednesday, May 6 at Russ Carr Field. The Warriors, who are the number four seed, will take on top-seeded Point Loma (41-10, 37-7) in the tournament’s first game at 11:00 a.m. Concordia (29-23, 27-17), the second seed, will take on third-seed Fresno Pacific (32-24, 27-17) at 2:30 p.m.

Three games, including two elimination games, are scheduled for Thursday, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Then on Friday, the first championship game will be played at 11:00 a.m. If needed, a winner-take-all game will commence at 2:30 p.m.(Article courtesy of Westmont Athletics)

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