SCC Baseball Closer to Playoff Berth

Christ College Irvine and Azusa Pacific will play four baseball games, Friday and Saturday, that should decide the Golden State Athletic Conference championship. But Tuesday, Southern California College made it known that the Vanguards shouldn’t be counted out.

The Vanguards defeated Christ College Irvine, 5-3, knocking the Eagles out of a first-place tie with Azusa Pacific. SCC (21-19-1, 9-7 in the conference) pulled within two games of the Eagles (25-9, 10-4) and remained three games behind Azusa (25-10, 11-4).

More importantly, the Vanguards moved closer to clinching a spot in the NAIA District 3 playoffs. They play host to fourth-place Cal Baptist (13-24, 7-9) in a doubleheader Saturday and a sweep would assure them one of the four playoff berths.

By winning its final four games, including two with CCI May 2, the Vanguards still could win the conference title and play host to the playoffs, May 7-9.

The Vanguards have depended on strong pitching to stay in the race and David Black is the pitcher Coach Charlie Phillips depends on most.

Black, a senior right-hander who played at El Modena and Orange Coast College, has a 7-3 record with an 1.53 earned-run average, lowest in the district. But he has been more dominant in conference games, with a 1.34 ERA and a 5-1 record. His only loss was a 1-0 decision to Westmont, in which he pitched a two-hitter.

Right-hander Ryan Meredith, a sophomore from Trabuco Hills High, has a 2.61 ERA in the conference and 3.39 overall. As a team, the Vanguards have a 2.67 ERA in conference games.

“Our strength is definitely our pitching,” Phillips said. “If we get in the playoffs we can go a long way because I think we have the best pitching in the conference.”

Add SCC: The Vanguards have picked up the pace a bit on offense, batting .278 in conference play to improve their season’s average to .255.

Justin Pysar, a senior who played as a freshman at Saddleback College, has shown the biggest improvement, batting .400 in conference play to improve his overall average to .278. Pysar drove in three runs in the Vanguards’ 5-3 victory over CCI Tuesday.

“When Pysar hits, we win, and he’s been hitting real well in the conference,” Phillips said.

Wild innings: Trailing Loyola Marymount, 11-2, in the eighth inning Tuesday, Chapman baseball Coach Mike Weathers shuffled his lineup, virtually clearing his bench.

The results were immediate and stunning--the Panthers scored 10 runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a one-run lead, six more in the ninth to tie the score and a run in the 10th for a 19-18 victory.

Seldom-used senior Shawn Nugent, listed on the roster as a catcher, entered the game in the eighth as the first baseman. In the bottom of the inning, he went two for two, including the first home run in his Chapman career--a grand slam that gave the Panthers a 12-11 lead.

After Loyola had taken an 18-12 lead in the top of the ninth, Nugent hit a two-run home run to make it 18-16. After Jason White struck out for the second time in the inning, Cliff Anderson and Kevin Monson hit consecutive home runs to tie the score.

White ended the game with a run-scoring single in the 10th.

Nugent, who had had two hits in five at-bats before the game, improved his average .125 points from .400 to .625 by going three for three.

Chapman’s softball woes continued Tuesday, when the Panthers lost both games of a doubleheader against Cal State San Bernardino and dropped into last place in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. Wednesday, however, they swept UC Riverside to regain fifth place.

Chapman (25-18, 4-8), the defending conference champion, plays two games at first-place Cal Bakersfield on Friday and two at second-place Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Saturday.