SAN DIEGO CHRISTIAN COLLEGE - 2006-07

2006-07
MEN'S BASKETBALL -- School Website LINK
Thurs. Mar. 15
NAIA Nationals, Kansas City -- First Round
FINAL: Faulkner (Ala.) 86, SDCC 76 (OT)
GAME TRACKER or HERE

Garrett tabbed to run SDCC athletics

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (6-29-07) -- Following the mass resignation of athletic department administrators at San Diego Christian College last month, the school commenced recovery efforts quickly by naming ED GARRETT as the Hawks' director of athletics.

Garrett returns to San Diego after a stop in Phoenix, where he was director of club sports ministries with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Colorado, holding positions with the U.S. Volleyball Federation and Colorado Christian University.

He holds a Master's degree from CCU, where he did his graduate work after gaining a bacholar's degree from Point Loma Nazarene University.

Garrett also authored a 2002 book,"Sports Scholarships: The tricks of the trade on getting paid to play."

Among Garrett's first announcements included that he will serve as interim women's volleyball coach this fall, and he named JASON SMITH as men's basketball coach.

Smith comes to SDCC after heading the basketball program at Kansas City's Calvary Bible College, where he was last season's Central Region Division II coach of the year among National Christian College Athletic Association schools.

Garrett and Smith will replace KELVIN STARR, the 2006 Golden State Athletic Conference coach of the year, who recently accepted the boys basketball coaching position across campus at Christian High School.

Starr was coach and AD for the Hawks, collecting a 128-66 record in six seasons, capped by an NAIA national tournament berth and a GSAC championship this past season. His team finished the season ranked 7th in the country. Starr's teams also reached the NAIA nationals in 2006, and he was an assistant coach when the Hawks reached the NAIA Final Four in 2001.

The Hawks still hold an opening for a women's basketball coach following the resignation of former SDCC All-America guard WILL CUNNINGHAM, who left after 12 seasons to take over at Cathedral Catholic High School.

© East County Sports.com
AZUSA (5-3-07) -- When the Golden State Athletic Conference announced the pairings for the NAIA Region II baseball championships, San Diego Christian College was listed as the sixth and final seed to the double-elimination event, with plans underway to meet nationally second-ranked Azusa Pacific in Friday's opening round.

Patten University, a school of 500 students, asked the NAIA regional baseball committee for consideration -- and, shockingly, the request succeeded. Thus, the Lions will replace SDCC in the postseason bracket.

"We had to win five out of six down the stretch, including a doubleheader on the last day of the season against Concordia University , who was in the NAIA World Series last year, to grab the sixth spot," said Hawks coach MIKE LORD. "Those are wins under pressure."

While San Diego Christian won on the field, Patten appealed off the field on two counts.

The schools were to meet in a February twinbill at Stars Field, but rains in the region made the field unplayable for several weeks. So Lord contacted GSAC schools in the greater Los Angeles area, arranging for substitute ballgames with Biola and Cal Baptist where the weather was more amenable.

However, Patten argued to committee members -- more than two months later -- that they should receive forfeit victories from the Hawks. And if they receive such forfeits, the Lions' record would be equal to SDCC's, thus a head-to-head, 2-0 series advantage (via the forfeits) should give them the playoff berth.

And the committee, composed of three representatives each from GSAC and California Pacific Conference schools, shockingly agreed with Patten. It should be noted, Patten's own website doesn't even list the slated games with San Diego Christian, only the replacement games arranged by Lord. Also, Cal-Pac doesn't even offer baseball as an official sport.

Understandably, the Hawks were more than upset with the back-handed method employed by Patten to bump them out of postseason play. According to three GSAC sources, the vote went by "party lines," except at least one GSAC school voted against the Hawks.

Baseball committee chairman Bob Wilson, who serves as Director of Athletics at Costa Mesa's Vanguard University, did not return phone calls seeking comment. However, Azusa Pacific University sports information director Gary Pine dismissed rumors that APU, the alleged dissenting vote according to SDCC personnel, was even on the committee, yet did acknowledge that the CPC may have had more voting members of the panel.

"It's a heartbreaking situation for our players and our college," added Lord, who directed his first-year program to an on-field .500 record (21-21). "To have people from your own conference turn on you is beyond comprehension."

Since Patten requested forfeits, which gave the team a record equal to the Hawks, San Diego Christian in turn request forfeit victories from La Sierra University, which dropped the sport at midseason and had at least four ballgames with the Hawks cancelled.

"We simply asked for equal application of the rules," said JACKIE ARMSTRONG, the Hawks' Associate Director of Athletics. "If Patten wanted wins for games not played, we also wanted wins for games not played against La Sierra."

"If that happened, our record would again be better than Patten's, nevermind that we had a far superior strength-of-schedule advantage."

Lord agreed regarding the team comparisons.

"Patten played a light schedule against teams that were mostly under .500, yet got rewarded for that."

Plus, the Hawks were on a roll, winning five of six contests, including four wins against teams above them in the GSAC standings.

"We were coming up to Azusa healthy, swinging the bats well, with Lance Janke on the mound who can beat anybody on any given day in our conference," added the coach.

Instead, with only the forfeits with Patten counting against its record but not La Sierra, San Diego Christian's official record goes to 21-23; it was a season-long goal to finish .500 or above.

"If the NAIA is going to make a decision like this, they should've contacted us," noted Armstrong. "But we never got a phone call or an email to give our side of the situation."

Added Lord, "This was back-room politics at its best. The saddest part of the whole thing was having to tell my boys and then see how crushed they were."

Interestingly, Patten did not request forfeit wins from another NAIA program, Cal State San Marcos. The Lions were slated to play in North County on Feb. 19-20, but those contests were also rained out during the same roadtrip when they were to meet SDCC.

© East County Sports.com
AZUSA (4-30-07) -- San Diego Christian College thought it would be satisfied with a .500 finish to its inaugural baseball campaign. Wrong.

The Hawks' season will be extended at least a few more days when the Golden State Athletic Conference announced brackets for the postseason, with SDCC (21-21 overall) included in the playoff mix.

On Saturday (Apr. 28), while sweeping a doubleheader from visiting Concordia, 7-6 and 13-12, along the coast, Point Loma Nazarene also completed a sweep, twice taking out visiting Vanguard, 4-3 in 12 innings and 6-4. Thus, the Hawks finished above Vanguard's Lions to gain final entry into the GSAC tournament pool.

San Diego Christian will open against nationally second-ranked Azusa Pacific (32-4), which swept all four games from the Hawks in the season series. However, no one locally is complaining about receiving an extension to the season.

“The boys played their hearts out,” said head coach Mike Lord. “They left everything they had on the field both Wednesday and today (Saturday) to get us into the playoffs"

Not unexpected for a young team, SDCC actually posted a winning road record at 11-9, including two triumphs at 25th-ranked Cal Baptist, which tied for second place with Point Loma Nazarene in GSAC play.

"We are road warriors, and now that we are in the playoffs anything can happen," added Lord. "I’m very proud of the boys to set the standard for the program that didn't exist a year ago.”

LANCE JANKE (4-4, 4.97 ERA), who led the Hawks staff with will 88 2/3 innings, will gain the start in Friday's tournament opener at Azusa Pacific.Janke went 0-2 against the Cougars, lasting only three innings early in the season, then five strong innings in a shutout loss at Azusa on Mar. 31, when the Cougars' Scott Hodsdon tossed a complete-game 1-hitter in the second game (7 innings) of a doubleheader.

Since losing a record five consecutive ballgames early in April, the Hawks closed the regular season taking five of six contests, including twinbill sweeps of both teams immediately above SDCC in the GSAC standings -- Concordia (4th) and Biola (5th).

Hawks happenings -- KELVIN STARR, who coached the Hawks men's basketball team to a pair of NAIA national tournaments and were co-champions of the GSAC for the first time ever this past season, as resigned his duties as Director of Athletics.

In addition, Jackie Armstrong, who served in several capacities including Associate Director of Athletics, has accepted a position in the Student Life Department with Point Loma Nazarene. Armstrong, a former Hawks soccer player, also served as an assistant coach to the Lady Hawks and was the Sports Information Director.

Sat., Apr. 28
Golden State Athletic Conference
San Diego Christian 7, Concordia 6
San Diego Christian 13, Concordia 12

Hawks cap .500 season with sweep

© East County Sports.com
BARONA INDIAN RESERVATION (4-29-07) -- The physiological significance of finishing with a .500 record was motivation enough for the San Diego Christian College baseball team.

With an opportunity to reach the plateau in the final day of the Hawks' debut season, the ballclub overcame a late 6-3 deficit by scoring in each of their final three at-bats, shocking Concordia, 7-6. The team then scored a school-record 10 runs in the second inning of the nightcap before staving off the Eagles, 13-12, to sweep Saturday's (Apr. 28) Golden State Athletic Conference doubleheader at Stars Field.

SDCC caps its inaugural season under head coach MIKE LORD at 21-21 overall; 17-19 in GSAC to finish in sixth place among the 10 schools.

In the opener, the comeback began with an RBI double to left-centerfield by DANNY GONZALES in the 6th, then a game-tying, 2-run single by MATT LUNA in the 7th. The rally was completed in the 8th when TYLER PERKINS doubled to left to drive home KENOLI FONSECA.

BRANDON ABELL then retired the Eagles in the 9th to complete a 3-inning stint of 1-hit relief to earn the victory.

With the window open to reach .500 in the second game, the Hawks took advantage of three Concordia errors coupled with eight hits in the biggest outburst in the school's brief baseball history. Included were 2-run hits by GARRETT LINGLE (single) and BRANDON RAUCH (double).

The Eagles attempted their own comeback with five runs in both the 3rd and 5th innings to close the gap to 13-11. The visitors then added another run in the 7th, but a squeeze attempt to tie the game failed when pitcher LANCE JANKE barely fielded the ball and flipped it home, where catcher SEAN WEST made the tag to end the ballgame.

Janke went the final 2 1/3 innings to save the victory for Luna (4-1).

Rauch batted 3-for-4 with three runs and a pair of RBI in the second game, while Gonzales, the shortstop, posted five RBI combined in the two games.

AARON VASQUEZ was the first San Diego Christian batting leader, finishing with a solid .433 average, leading the ballclub in homers (13) and RBI (49). Complete stats HERE.

The Hawks completed the season taking five of their last six outings. Among the ballclub's accomplishments was winning 3-of-4 from Concordia, which finished fourth in GSAC, plus a season series split with GSAC runner-up Cal Baptist.

Wed., Apr. 25
Golden State Athletic Conference
The Master's 8, San Diego Christian 7
San Diego Christian 15, The Master's 9
BARONA -- The visiting Mustangs and the Hawks split a GSAC doubleheader at Stars Field. The regular season ends Saturday at noon, when SDCC hosts Concordia in a twinbill. In Game Two, designated hitter Aaron Vasquez homer twice togive himthe club lead with 13 this season, while outfielder Josh Doane went 3-for-5 with a homer and 4 RBI for the Hawks.

Sat., Apr. 21
Golden State Athletic Conference
San Diego Christian 4-7, Biola 3-2
BARONA -- When these teams met in La Mirada on March 3, the Hawks believed Biola tried to run up the score after posting 30 runs in a doubleheader sweep. On Saturday (Apr. 21), gained a measure of retribution by sweeping the visiting Eagles at Stars Field, snapping a season-long 5-game losing streak.

Thurs., Apr. 19
Golden State Athletic Conference
Point Loma Nazarene 16, San Diego Christian 5 STORY HERE (Courtesy of PLNU)
POINT LOMA – The 16th-ranked Sea Lions scored 11 runs in the sixth inning of a 16-5 Golden State Athletic Conference win over San Diego Christian Thursday afternoon at Carroll Land Stadium.

Wed., Apr. 18
Golden State Athletic Conference
Point Loma Nazarene 2, San Diego Christian 0 STORY HERE (Courtesy of PLNU)
POINT LOMA -- Major League Baseball’s all-time saves leader, Trevor Hoffman, visited Carroll Land Stadium Wednesday afternoon before the start of the ballgame. The Padres closer met with players from both teams and then signed autographs for fans before tossing out the ceremonial first pitch.

Sat., Apr. 14
Golden State Athletic Conference
Cal Baptist 13-5, San Diego Christian 7-4 (No information reported)

Tue., Apr. 10
Non-Conference
CS San Marcos 17, San Diego Christian 7 (No information reported)

© East County Sports.com
EAGLE ROCK (4-5-07) -- Senior first baseman BRANDON RAUCH became the first San Diego Christian College player to slug two homers in a game Wednesday (Apr. 4), driving home five total runs to power the Hawks past host Occidental College, 15-3, at Anderson Field.

Rauch, a transfer from Grossmont College , gave SDCC a quick jump with a 2-run shot in the 1st, then sent another 2-run homer sailing in the 5th for an 11-1 lead. In between, Rauch delivered a run-scoring single to give him five RBI for the contest, finishing 3-for-4 to raise his season average above the .400 mark. He is now 51-for-124 (.411) with a team-high nine homers for the campaign.

The victory also avenged a 6-5 setback to the Tigers in San Diego Christian's first-ever home game at Stars Field back on Feb. 7.

Rauch's early hits helped the Hawks (16-15 overall) build a 5-1 lead before they exploded for six runs in the 4th to put the Tigers (14-14) out of reach. The big inning featured a 2-run double by AARON VASQUEZ, Rauch's RBI single, and run-scoring hits by JOSH DOANE, SCOTT JARMAKOWICZ (double) and three Oxy errors for two other runs.

Meanwhile, second baseman KENOLI FONSECA and left-fielder ADAM PERRY (Christian HS) added four hits each, as the Hawks pounded Tigers pitchers for 19 hits. Vasquez, the designated hitter, finished 3-for-4 with three RBI.

GARRETT LINGLE collected his first victory of the season with three strong innings of relief. After Hawks starter BRANDON ABELL pitched the first three frames, Lingle entered and allowed just one run while striking out two.

San Diego Christian will seek a season sweep over Cal State San Marcos in Monday's (Apr. 9) 2 p.m. non-conference game at Barona Field, before closing the season with 10 consecutive Golden State Athletic Conference contests (9 at home).

No. 2 Azusa Pacific nears perfection

© East County Sports.com
AZUSA (4-1-07) -- A near-perfect season by Azusa Pacific University included a near-perfect pitching performance.

Cougars pitcher Scott Hodsdon carried a perfect game into the 6th inning, settling for a 1-hit shutout to give the NAIA second-ranked team a sweep of visiting San Diego Christian, 17-12 and 6-0, in Saturday's (Mar. 31) Golden State Athletic Conference doubleheader.

Hodsdon, who slammed his NAIA national-leading 16th and 17th homers of the season in the opener, gained the game-winning hit in the nightcap with an RBI single in the 5th. The senior right-hander then completed his second consecutive complete-game shutout.

“I like people to be around me, and I like to interact with the guys,” said Hodsdon of his between-inning activities with the perfect game intact. “You’re always aware of it, especially as a pitcher when you have no hits against you, but I try not to think about it. I tried to keep it out of my head, so I could focus on getting outs.”

Hawks third baseman GARRETT LINGLE singled to right to break up the perfect game, but Hodsdon kept his composure, inducing 3 straight groundouts to the left side of the infield to keep the shutout intact.

“It’s nice to see him pitching well,” said Cougar head coach Paul Svagdis. “Having a guy like that who can go out and be your number one and get guys out is really important. The big challenge is how we keep him healthy and how we keep him in the lineup offensively. He’s like Bugs Bunny – we can plug him in anywhere.”

Hodsdon got his revenge by retiring the Hawks in order in the 7th to finish stopping the GSAC's second-leading offense. He ranks among the top candidates for NAIA national player of the year honors.

In the first game, San Diego Christian struck first, when BRANDON RAUCH’s single up the middle scored KENOLI FONSECA from second base to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead.

Azusa Pacific, the GSAC's top batting unit, answered by sending 11 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first, scoring 6 runs on just 2 hits in the inning.

San Diego Christian scored 2 runs each in the third and fourth innings, but Azusa Pacific posted single runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings to take an 11-5 advantage into the final 3 innings. STEVE TRIPP pinch-hit 3-run home run in the top of the 7th to cut the lead to 11-9, but Hodsdon completed a 6 RBI performance with an RBI single to give the Cougars a 14-9 lead.

The Hawks received three RBI each from AARON VASQUEZ and Tripp. Meanwhile, Rauch and JOSH DOANE each went 3-for-5 with two runs and a pair of RBI.

With the sweep, Azusa Pacific has now won 12 straight GSAC games and 14 straight overall, improving to 34-4 overall 23-3 GSAC). San Diego Christian drops to 15-15 (12-14 GSAC).
Azusa Pacific Media Relations contributed to this story.

Luna saves Hawks pitching staff

© East County Sports.com
CLOVIS (3-30-07) -- With injuries depleting the San Diego Christian College pitching staff, second baseman MATT LUNA came to the rescue. The West Hills High product tossed 4 1/3 innings of relief to earn his first career win, as the Hawks rallied for a 5-2 victory over Fresno Pacific University to gain a split of Thursday's (Mar. 29) Golden State Athletic Conference doubleheader.

Luna shutout the Sunbirds during his stint on the mount, limited the hosts to just two hits while striking out three. LANCE JANKE, a Grossmont College product, pitched the last two frames for the Hawks, allowing just one basehit to gain his initial save of the season.

SDCC, trailing 2-1, got a break to tie the ballgame in the 5th inning.

JOSH DOANE got a second chance when a foul popup was dropped by the Fresno Pacific catcher for an error. The next pitch was deposited by Doane over the fence for a homer -- an unearned run -- to move the Hawks even.

The blast seemed to rattle FPU pitcher Jordan Keener, who then allowed back-to-back homers when AARON VASQUEZ also went deep for a 3-2 lead.

In the 6th, the Hawks went deep again. Following a walk to Vasquez, CHAD INDERWIESCHE sent a shot over the Buchanan High fence in left-centerfield, giving San Diego Christian a 3-1 advantage in the season series.

Fresno Pacific took the opener, 7-4, to end a 4-game losing streak, backed by a 5th-inning grand slam by first baseman Elliot Salcedo.

SDCC is 15-13 overall (12-12 GSAC); FPU is 12-19 (6-18 GSAC).

Lions break skid with sweep over Hawks

Courtesy, Vanguard University
BARON INDIAN RESERVATION (3-25-07) – The Vanguard Lions broke a four-game losing streak Saturday (Mar.24) with a GSAC doubleheader sweep of the San Diego Christian Hawks. The Lions tallied 17 hits in an 18-0 game one win and completed the sweep with an 8-2 victory in the nightcap.

Vanguard University posted nine runs on the board in the top of the first inning of game one en route to the 18-0 win. VU’s offensive outburst was highlighted by Derek Craddock’s grandslam, which chased SDCC’s starting pitcher Garrett Russell. Russell gave up three hits, including Craddock’s slam, and walked five batters as he was charged with all nine first-inning runs.

The Lions added single runs in the second, sixth, and seventh innings before exploding for six more runs in the eighth. Vanguard manufactured six runs on four hits, three walks, and a pair of hit batsmen while putting the finishing touches on the dominating 18-0 win.

VU’s Dustin Jones was just as impressive on the mound for the Lions. Scattering eight hits and striking out four batters, Jones notched the complete-game shutout, his second of the season, while improving his record to 5-1.

Vanguard took the early lead in game two with an unearned run in the top of the first inning. The Lions produced six hits in a four-run second to take control of the game against SDCC starter Lance Janke, who lasted three innings. Freshman Keegan Freeman had the first RBI single of the game for the Lions.

VUSC’s last three runs came in the fifth and sixth innings as sophomore Jason Machado hit a solo homerun and junior Luke Iverson hit a two-run blast to supply the Lions’ final runs. Vanguard’s 10-hit attack was more than enough for Nick Vaughn and Brian Ducy to combine for the seven-inning victory, holding the Hawks to five hits and two runs. Vaughn (3-1) worked six complete innings, giving up both SDCC runs, while Ducy closed the door on the Hawks with one shutout inning of relief work. Adam Hastings, Tyson Leighton, and Machado supplied two hits each to VU's second offensive outburst of the day.

Vanguard improves to 14-11 with the wins and moves its conference record back over .500 to 11-10. The Hawks slip to 14-12 overall and 11-11 in GSAC.

Courtesy, San Diego Christian College
POINT LOMA (3-22-07) -- “Gritty” is how San Diego Christian College baseball coach MIKE LORD summed up the doubleheader sweep of Westmont College on Wednesday (Mar. 21). The games were played at Point Loma Nazarene University due to a late-night downpour at Stars Field on the Barona Indian Reservation.

The highlight of the day was when BRANDON McNAMARA got back out on the mound for game action, his first game action in 38 days. He was out of action due to being hit near the eye during the first game of a GSAC twinbill play at Vanguard.

McNamara posted 2 2/3 innings of 3- hit ball. GARRETT RUSSELL (3-1) relieved Brandon in the third and shut the down the Warriors (5-21, 3-17 GSAC) to gain the victory. MATT LUNA, who was playing with a bruised wrist, picked up his second save of the year as the Hawks took down the Warriors 8-5. SDCC also took the nightcap, 7-4.

Tyler Perkins (5-7, 2 doubles, 4 runs scored) and Kenoli Fonseca (5-8, 2 runs scored, 3 RBI) lead the Hawks (14-10, 11-9 GSAC). Lance Janke (5-2) went the distance in game one as he allowed five runs on ten hits.

The Hawks will be back in action on Saturday for a GSAC double header against Vanguard University. First pitch is scheduled for 11 am at Stars Field.

© East County Sports.com
BARONA INDIANA RESERVATION (3-15-07) -- Just call them the "Dirty Dozen."

San Diego Christian College scored 12 runs in both ends of a doubleheader, sweeping visiting Fresno Pacific, 12-11 and 12-6, in Golden State Athletic Conference play Wednesday (Mar. 14). The first game went 10 innings -- the Hawks' first extra-inning contest.

In the opener, both teams belted 16 hits before the Hawks (12-8 overall, 9-7 GSAC) scored the game-winning run in the 10th, giving the school its first home-field victory at Stars Field at Barona. The other "home" victory was a contest moved to Point Loma Nazarene due to recent rains.

The Hawks exploded for seven runs in the 1st, including a 2-run homer by AARON VASQUEZ. However, the Sunbirds chipped away by scoring in their last four trips of regulation, including four in the 9th to force extra innings.

However, San Diego Christian quickly ended the game when third baseman MATT LUNA, who came on to pitch and get the last two outs in the top of the 10th, scored the clinching run to gain the pitching victory.

Luna sent a one-out single through the right side, advanced on a grounder to the right side by CHAD INDERWIESCHHE, then came home on a game-winning basehit down the left-field line by SEAN WEST.

Left-fielder STEVE TRIPP went 4-for-6, while Vasquez batted 3-for-5 with three runs and four RBI. Luna, Vasquez and JOSH DOANE added three hits each.

In Game Two, SDCC pounded out a school-record 20 hits, finally making a winner of Hawks starter BRANDON ABELL (1-5). DANNY FLANNERY paced the offense with four hits, while seven other starters gained two hits each, including a double and a triple by catcher SCOTT JARMAKOWICZ, who also added a sacrifice fly for four RBI for the ballgame.

Fresno Pacific (10-13, 4-12 GSAC) took an early 3-1 lead, but San Diego Christian answered with five runs in the 4th, including a 2-run homer by West. Luna and Flannery also added two RBI each.

Courtesy, Concordia Media Relations
IRVINE (3-8-07) -- Concordia senior Brent Dohling slugged a two-run home run in the 6th inning Wednesday (Mar. 7), but the Eagles were unable to make up the rest of a three-run deficit and fell to visiting San Diego Christian, 5-4, in Golden State Athletic Conference play.

The Hawks jumped on the Eagles early, seeming to take advantage of a team resting on the laurels of a 7-1 win the day before. Josh Doane led off with a bounding double down the left field line, then took advantage of an error and a passed ball for a quick 1-0 lead before the next batter had completed his at-bat.

Despite getting the next two outs, All-America pitcher Andrew Soto was unable to get out of the inning and allowed two more runs to score. Aaron Vasquez and Danny Flannery sandwiched singles around a walk to Brandon Rauch, the hit by Flannery plating Vasquez. Matt Luna followed up with another single to stake the Hawks to a 3-0 advantage.

The Eagles also were able to score before recording an out in the bottom of the inning. All-America centerfielder Daniel Robertson drew a lead-off walk, stole second and scored on a single by Nathan Dean. An unearned run in the 3rd inning thanks to a RBI double by Dean trimmed one more run off the lead, but the lead would not follow.

The Hawks' Kenoli Fonseca drew a walk to start the 5th inning off Ryan McKibben. Vasquez was up next and hit a towering two-run home run to right that helped SDCC reclaim its three-run advantage.

Dohling gave the Eagles hope with his two-run shot with two outs in the 6th inning, but Lance Janke (4-2) set down the next four batters to finish out the game to earn the win. Janke went four innings in relief of starter Scott Jarmakowicz and gave up just two hits while striking out four.

Mike Woolery took over in the 1st inning and gave Concordia a scoreless 3.1 innings of relief while fanning four. Donnie Boyett came in after the Vasquez home run and also tossed three scoreless innings with just one walk and one hit allowed.

Dohling and Dean accounted for all four Concordia hits on the day and drove in all four runs. The rest of the team combined to go 0-for-19 with just two walks and four strikeouts. Vasquez finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI for San Diego Christian (10-8 overall, 7-7 GSAC).

The Eagles ran their winning streak to seven games with the sweep and improve to 11-5 on the season and 7-4 in GSAC play. The Hawks drop to 9-7 overall (6-6 in the conference).

Scott Nelson had a great day at the plate, going 5-for-7 with a grand slam home run in game one and six RBIs overall on the day.

The first game was quite a thriller with the Eagles coming from behind twice in the final two innings to pull out the win.

Biola opened with two runs in the first on a two run homer by Nick Dietzen. San Diego Christian tied the score with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the second.

However, the Eagles would add one in the second on a Daniel Bodemer RBI-single, then tack on three more in the bottom of the third with a three-run shot by Matt Smith to dead centerfield.

San Diego Christian would tie the game up again with a four-spot in the top of the sixth inning with Aaron Vasquez blasting a tape-measure, three-run shot to right field as the highlight of the frame.

The Hawks then added two in the seventh and one in the eighth to go up 9-6 heading to the bottom of the eighth inning.

But the Eagles would take the lead right back with six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as they sent 10 batters to the plate. After Biola scored two runs, Nelson blasted a grand slam to right field to tie the game.

However, the wheels came off in the top of the ninth for Biola's closer Greg Matson, who gave up back-to-back singles to open then inning the a three-run homer to Brandon Rauch to tie the game.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Smith got the ball rolling with a double down the rightfield line. One out later, Bobby Slater drove him in with a single to right to give the Eagles the win.

Charlie Gausepohl picked up the win to move to 1-1 on the year, while Matt Luna suffered the loss in relief.

Game two was all Biola after allowing a run in the first inning. Dietzen and Smith drove in runs with a single in the bottom of the first to take the lead back.

The Eagles then broke the game open in the bottom of the second, sending 14 batters to the plate and scoring eight runs in the inning with just three hits. Biola took advantage of three Hawk errors and five walks to go up 10-1 after the second.

They would tack on four more in the bottom of the fourth inning with Smith clearing the bases with a double down the leftfield line. In the sixth, the Eagles scored three runs with the big hit coming from Greg Matson, who drove in two with a double down the leftfield line.

Jimmy Johnson was outstanding on the hill, picking up the win with five strong innings, allowing just five hits and one run while striking out two.

San Diego Christian concludes its roadtrip with a two-game series at Concordia, starting Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.

© East County Sports.com
POINT LOMA (3-2-07) -- San Diego Christian College had yet to capture a home game in three starts in 2007, so the Hawks needed to go on the road to achieve Home Victory No. 1.

With Stars Field on the Barona Indian Reservation left unplayable because of recent rains, SDCC returned to Point Loma Nazarene's Carroll Land Stadium to complete a home-and-home series, then defeated the "visiting" and 20th-ranked Sea Lions, 4-2, to gain a split of the teams' inaugural Golden State Athletic Conference meeting.

San Diego Christian looked right at home from the very start, scoring all of its runs in the first two innings. The Hawks then rode the arm of starting pitcher SCOTT JAMARKOWICZ, who allowed just five hits and one earned run over seven innings to gain his first victory.

MATT LUNA collected the first save in Hawks history with two scoreless frames of relief, knocking Point Loma Nazarene out of a first-place tie with Azusa Pacific. SDCC remains in a deadlock for third with No. 11 Concordia, three full games behind Azusa 's Cougars.

The Hawks (9-5 overall, 6-4 GSAC) scored twice in the 1st, as BRANDON RAUCH doubled to left to score KENOLI FONSECA, who reached on a two-out basehit. SDCC eventually loaded the bases, with Rauch eventually forced home on a walk to DANNY FLANNERY.

In the 2nd, three consecutive basehits -- capped by a drag bunt single by GARRETT LINGLE -- loaded the bases. Fonseca followed by hitting into a fielder's choice to make it 3-0, then Rauch singled through the right side to give the designated hitter a 2-for-4, two RBI afternoon.

The Sea Lions (12-3, 8-2 GSAC) cut the deficit in half in the 4th.

Mike Reynolds got the ball rolling with a single to right, then two-out singles by Jeff Fox and Trevor Andrews loaded the bases. Kevin Campbell was hit by a pitch forcing in Reynolds to snap Jamarkowicz' shutout bid, then an error scored Reynolds.

The Hawks outhit the Sea Lions 10-7. Fox and Reynolds each had two hits for PLNU, while TYLER PERKINS matched Rauch with two hits for SDCC. The Hawks will play a doubleheader at No. 23 Biola on Saturday, starting at 11 a.m.

© East County Sports.com
POINT LOMA (3-1-07) -- Point Loma Nazarene pitcher Jared Eskew was threatened throughout Wednesday's (Feb. 28) Golden State Athletic Conference ballgame with San Diego Christian, surrendering 12 hits and a walk over six innings. But it was still good enough for his first victory of the season, as the 20th-ranked Sea Lions staved off the Hawks, 8-3, at Carroll Land Stadium.

PLNU (12-2 overall) moved into a first-place tie with Azusa Pacific at 8-1, while San Diego Christian fell to 8-5 (5-4 GSAC) in the first-ever meeting on the diamond between the schools. The Hawks are tied for third with 11th-ranked Concordia.

Thursday's (Mar. 1) rematch has been moved, and will also be played at Point Loma since Stars Field at Barona remains under water following recent rains. Game time remains at 2 p.m.

Eskew, a sophomore lefty, twice gave up the lead after the Sea Lions took leads of 1-0 and 2-1. The Hawks battled back to tie each time, first on an RBI single by DANNY FLANNERY in the 4th, then on a run-scoring double by BRANDON RAUCH in the 5th.

However, the Sea Lions scored three times in the 6th and 8th, capped by a two-run double by second baseman Travis Wiley.

Meanwhile, the Hawks were constantly frustrated by Eskew, leaving 10 runners on base for the contest. Included was Eskew's escape in the 1st on a double play grounder, then stranding runners in scoring position in the 2nd and 3rd.

Point Loma's Kevin Craik tossed the final three innings of the game to earn his first save of the season. Hawks starter GARRETT RUSSELL (2-1) took the setback, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits in six innings of work.

PLNU's 11-hit offense was led by Downing and Alex Cameron, each of whom had two hits. Wiley and Bernhart drove in two runs apiece.

KENOLI FONSECA paced the Hawks attack, going 3-for-4 to raise his season average to an even .500 (21-for-42) to rank third-best in GSAC. Meanwhile, JOSH DOANE went 2-for-4, with a double and scoring a run. All nine SDCC starters registered at least one hit as part of a 12-hit attack.

© East County Sports.com
RIVERSIDE (2-25-07) --- Second baseman KENOLI FONSECA batted 5-for-6, including a 2-run homer in the nightcap of San Diego Christian's shocking Golden State Athletic Conference sweep of No. 8-ranked Cal Baptist, 5-1 and 10-1, Saturday (Feb. 24) at Lancers Field.

Fonseca and the Hawks jumped all over CBU starter Kyle Thomas, chasing him with seven hits in 2 2/3 innings, including Fonseca's bomb to deep left-centerfield for a quick 2-0 lead.

The runs were more than enough for SDCC starter BRANDON ABELL, who tossed a complete-game 4-hitter. Abell struck out two and just missed a shutout before allowing an unearned run in the seventh inning.

Also backing Abell was the 3-for-3 hitting of first baseman BRANDON RAUCH, who drove in four runs (six for the twinbill), including a 3-run homer in the 6th for an 8-0 lead. Fonseca was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI in the nightcap after going 3-for-4 in the opener.

With the sweep, San Diego Christian improves to 8-4 overall (5-3, GSAC), while the Lancers fell to 12-6 (3-5) in suffering their sixth loss in the past nine outings.

In Game One, San Diego Christian came up with a handful of timely hits. Among their 11 hits, 10 were singles, including six of the infield variety. The Hawks also took advantage of a pair of Lancers errors, including a 2-out mishap in the fifth that plated a run to make it 2-0.

Meanwhile, Hawks starting pitcher LANCE JANKE was solid on the mound, scattering eight singles and giving up just the one run, a sacrifice fly by Aaron Seuss in the seventh that cut the lead to 3-1. Janke struck out six and walked just one.

The Hawks got single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth with the runs in the fourth and sixth coming by way of RBI singles from Rauch and AARON VASQUEZ. SDCC added 2 more runs in the eighth off reliever Brad Simmons after stringing together 4 consecutive basehits, including run-scoring knocks by Rauch and JOSH DOANE.

San Diego Christian, which is 3-0 against San Diego County based opponents, gets its first meeting with Point Loma Nazarene next week, playing a home-and-home GSAC series on Wednesday (Feb. 28) at PLNU's Carroll Land Stadium, then Thursday (Mar. 1) at home at Stars Field. Both contests are slated for 2 p.m.

www.cbulancers.com contributed to this report.

© East County Sports.com
BARONA INDIAN RESERVATION (2-18-07) -- Entering the week, four members of the Golden State Athletic Conference were listed in the NAIA national baseball rankings. But the team with the best overall record -- Azusa Pacific -- was nowhere to be found.

And the Cougars are on a mission to correct the oversight, running their record to 12-1 after sweeping a GSAC doubleheader from host San Diego Christian, 10-2 and 10-1, Saturday (Feb. 17) at Stars Field.

The victories keeps Azusa in a 3-way tie for first place with No. 11 Concordia (9-1) and No. 20 Point Loma Nazarene (9-2). Meanwhile, the Hawks (6-4 overall, 3-3 GSAC) fell two games behind the leaders in fifth place.

In Game One, Cougars pitchers Jonny Bravo and Zach Pettikas limited SDCC to just seven hits. Only Hawks shortstop DANNY GONZALES could solve the pair with two hits, driving in the team's first run in the 5th to cut the deficit to 5-1, then scoring on a JOSH DOANE basehit in the 7th to make it 6-2.

Meanwhile, Azusa left-fielder Stephen Gillette (San Pasqual HS) went 2-for-5 with three RBI, while shortstop Matt Venegas and right-fielder Eddie Crespo registered three hits each.

In the nightcap, the Hawks needed just three batters to open the scoring.

KENOLI FONSECA opened with the first of his two hits, moved to third on a basehit by TYLER PERKINS, then came home on Doane's sacrifice fly. However, the Hawks were again limited to just seven hits while APU roared back with all of its runs over the following four innings, keys by two doubles each from centerfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis and first baseman Brice Cutspec.

San Diego Christian caps the homestand with single games against Patten University of Oakland at 1 p.m. both Wednesday (Feb. 21) and Thursday (Feb. 22), then returns to GSAC play next Saturday (Feb. 24) with an 11 a.m. twinbill at Cal Baptist.

© East County Sports.com
SANTA BARBARA (2-15-07) -- BRANDON RAUCH drove home seven runs including a grand slam to complete a huge comeback, helping San Diego Christian College sweep Westmont, 18-8 and 11-2, in Wednesday's (Feb. 14) Golden State Athletic Conference doubleheader at Russ Carr Field.

Rauch, who drove in nine runs in the first two games in Hawks history, now owns 19 RBI in eight outings this season.

Rauch also added a two-run triple in the 7th inning, pulling SDCC (6-3, 3-1 GSAC) within a run after trailing early 8-3 in the opener. The Hawks took the lead with five runs in the 8th, followed by Rauch's slam to cap a 6-run outburst in the 9th.

JOSH DOANE (2-for-4, 3 RBI), AARON VASQUEZ (3-for-4, 2 RBI) and pinchhitter SHANE STANOVIC also slugged triples to fuse a 19-hit attack.

Meanwhile, the Hawks bullpen tossed 4 1/3 innings of shutout relief, allowing just one hit. CLINT PRIESENDORFER collected the victory in relief, then BRANDON ABELL pitched the final two frames for the save.

The key rally in the 8th started after two were out. KENOLI FONSECA tied the game by with a single through the left side to score SEAN WEST, who walked and stole second base. Fonseca then gave SDCC the lead by scoring on Doane's two-run triple.

Fonseca, the Hawks leadoff batter who plays second base, finished batting 4-for-5 with four runs scored. In addition, centerfielder TYLER PERKINS went 3-for-5 with three runs.

In Game Two, GARRETT RUSSELL and LANCE JANKE combined on a 2-hitter to subdue the host Warriors (1-6, 1-3). Russell went the first five innings to gain the win, then Janke set down all six batters he faced to close out the sweep.

Hawks third baseman GARRETT LNGLE batted 2-for-3 with three RBI, including a two-run triple in the 4th when SDCC opened the scoring to take a 4-0 lead. Catcher SCOTT JARMAKOWICZ also tagged a solo homer to leadoff the 6th.

STEVE TRIPP and Doane added three hits each, as Doane went 5-for-8 with five runs and four RBI in the twinbill.

© East County Sports.com
COSTA MESA (2-13-07) -- San Diego Christian College pitcher BRENDAN McNAMARA, who figured to be the ace of the Hawks starting pitching rotation this season, is believed to be gone for the season after an unfortunate injury suffered during Saturday's second game of a Golden State Athletic Conference doubleheader at Vanguard University.

Brendan McNamara

While sitting in the dugout, McNamara was struck in the face by a foul ball, breaking several bones after he was unable to avoid the line drive.

"The ball broke the orbital bones above and below his eye," said Hawks coach MIKE LORD." He may not be able to pitch this season at all. It's a real tough break for him and the guys early in the year."

Doctors will determine this week the extent of the damage and whether surgery will be needed to repair the injury.

An All-Pacific Coast Conference pitcher for Palomar College in 2005, McNamara came to San Diego Christian after one season with the University of Kansas . With the Jayhawks, the right-hander posted a 3-3 record and a 3.86 earned-run average in 22 appearances (five starts), ranking among the club leaders with 40 strikeouts in 51 innings.

At Palomar, McNamara went 5-2 with a 3.50 ERA following a medical redshirt season in 2004. By NAIA rules, McNamara could qualify for a sixth season and pitch in 2007, but Lord was more concerned with the senior's current health and did not speculate on his future.

McNamara played high school ball at Oceanside High, where he set a school single-game record with eight RBI while posting a 6-0 pitching record, starting in the 2002 CIF-San Diego Section Division II title game for the Pirates against Eastlake.

McNamara is the grandson of Don Moore, who played for five seasons in the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees organizations, and nephew of Don Moore, Jr., who played six years in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Also, cousin Matt Moore plays quarterback at Colorado State.

© East County Sports.com
COSTA MESA (2-11-07) -- Following a forgettable Golden State Athletic Conference debut, San Diego Christian College rebounded strongly to gain a split of Saturday's (Feb. 10) doubleheader against Vanguard University, falling 10-0 before storming back for an 8-1 triumph.

LANCE JANKE spun a complete-game 3-hitter to collect his third victory of the season to gain the split for the Hawks (4-2 overall).

This time, a porous Lions defense – which booted the ball six times – led to a parade of unearned runs.

In the opener, Lions pitcher Dustin Jones tossed a 7-hit shutout, despite two hits each by the Hawks' DANNY GONZALES and BRANDON RAUCH. Plus, four Hawks errors allowed several unearned runs to saddle the loss to SDCC starter BRANDON ABELL.

Vanguard (1-1 overall) scored in each of the game's first six innings, including home runs -- all to left field -- by Jason Machado, Keegan Freeman and Zach Leighton.

San Diego Christian completes its roadtrip Wednesday (Feb. 14) with a GSAC twinbill in Santa Barbara against Westmont College , starting at 11 a.m.

© East County Sports.com
BARONA INDIAN RESERVATION (2-8-07) -- The storybook finish was primed and ready for San Diego Christian College to rally and capture its first-ever home baseball game. The bases were loaded in the bottom of the 9th inning -- but it all came crashing down.

Occidental College pitcher Marcus Stoiber escaped the jam by coaxing a game-ending pop out, allowing the Tigers (3-0) to escape with a 5-4 decision over the previously undefeated Hawks (3-1) at Stars Field.

SDCC centerfield TYLER PERKINS batted 3-for-4, including a leadoff basehit in the 9th to start the heroics. JOSH DOANE was hit by a pitch, but the next two batters made outs.

With designated hitter GARRETT LINGLE at the plate, Perkins and Doane stole bases, placing the potential tying and winning runs in scoring position, so Lingle was intentionally walked to load the bases. However, Stoiber capped his 3-inning relief stint with a popup to gain the victory

Occidental sprinted out of the gate to a 4-0 lead after two innings, but the Hawks eventually tied the ballgame by the 7th.

In the 4th, BRANDON RAUCH slugged an RBI double, later scoring on a basehit by freshman SHANE STANOVIC. Two innings later, AARON VASQUEZ belted a leadoff homer to right, then the first baseman added a sacrifice fly to plate Perkins to tie the score.

However, Occidental grabbed the lead in the 9th on its second try.

After loading the bases with no out, Hawks second baseman KENOLI FONSECA handled a grounder and fired home to catcher SCOTT JARMAKOWICZ for a force out. However, the next batter, Tigers left-fielder William Crocker, singled to right for what turned out to be the game-winning run.

Both teams posted 11 hits, including a 4-for-5, three RBI effort by Oxy catcher Adam Franks, while Crocker's game-winner capped a 3-for-5 effort. For the Hawks, Rauch and shortstop DANNY GONZALES collected a pair of hits each.

SDCC pitcher MATT LUNA tossed 4 2/3 innings of shutout relief after the Hawks starter was chased early in the 3rd. Luna struck out eight with just one walk, scattering just four hits.

San Diego Christian opens Golden State Athletics Conference action Saturday, traveling to Costa Mesa for an 11 a.m. doubleheader against Vanguard. The contests will be the Lions' first of the season.

In the GSAC, 4 teams -- Cal Baptist (8th), Concordia (11th), Point Loma Nazarene (20th) and Biola (23rd) -- are nationally ranked, while Azusa Pacific is unranked yet undefeated at 7-0.

© East County Sports.com
LA JOLLA (2-7-07) -- There's something about the second inning which continues to make the San Diego Christian College baseball team shine. For the third straight outing, the Hawks scored seven times in the fateful 2nd, whipping 30th-ranked UC San Diego, 17-5, at Triton Field.

SDCC, undefeated in three starts, also added six additional runs in the 3rd, mounting a 13-1 cushion over the Tritons (3-2). The game was called after eight innings due to darkness.

"I wouldn't have predicted this one," said Hawks manager MIKE LORD. "And scoring seven runs in the same inning for the third straight game -- talk about baseball trivia."

Nothing trivial about the Hawks offense, which batted around in both early innings to quickly dispose of their NCAA Division II opponent. The team has scored 46 times in three starts.

Displays of speed and the long ball keyed the 7-run second. Already leading 2-0, DANNY FLANNERY took home on a pitch in the dirt for a 3-0 lead, which shook-up UCSD starter Daniel Simmons, who then allowed an RBI triple to KENOLI FONSECA, who scored on a balk.

JOSH DOANE, who stole two bases in the 1st but was stranded, followed with a two-run homer to left field to chase Simmons. However, the Tritons bullpen promptly allowed a solo homer to nearly the identical spot in left by BRANDON RAUCH for a 7-0 lead.

In the 3rd, SDCC's first seven batters all reached base safely. Key hits included a two-run double by SEAN WEST, a two-run basehit by Fonseca, and the second hit of the inning by catcher SCOTT JARMAKOWICZ.

Fonseca, Doane and West all finished with three RBI. Doane (triple and HR) and Jarmakowicz each registered four of the Hawks' 24 hits, while Flannery and designated hitter AARON VASQUEZ had three hits each.

Meanwhile, three Hawks pitchers allowed just four earned runs, striking out two batters each.

JESSE McDONALD pitched the opening 3 2/3 innings for the declared victory, GARRETT RUSSELL went 3 1/3 of solid relief, then BRANDON ABELL closed the victory with a perfect 8th inning.

San Diego Christian will play its first-ever home game at 2 p.m. Wednesday (Feb. 7) against Occidental. All Hawks home games are played at Stars Field on the Barona Indian Reservation north of Lakeside. The field is located behind the Barona Museum and Cultural Center, across the street from the fire station.

© East County Sports.com
SAN MARCOS (2-3-07) -- In an almost identical performance as its debut contest, San Diego Christian College again exploded for seven runs in the second inning Friday (Feb 2), rolling to a 15-7 victory over Cal State San Marcos at San Marcos High School. The Hawks took a 14-8 decision on the same field in both programs' debut ballgame last week.

Former Grossmont College right-hander LANCE JANKE (2-0) again garnered the victory, allowing just three earned runs in six innings. He struck out four, then was followed by a parade of relievers -- GARRETT RUSSELL, BRANDON ABELL and BRANDAN McNAMARA -- who tossed one inning each to close out the rout.

But all eyes were on the explosive Hawks offense, which has a total of 29 runs on 31 hits in two games against the Cougars.

Leading the way was BRANDON RAUCH, a product of El Capitan High, San Diego State and Grossmont College . Rauch now owns 9 RBI in two games after driving home five more runs against CSUSM pitching.

This time, Rauch went 4-for-5 with two doubles and a 2-run homer. The former nationally-ranked BMX biker also scored three times and stole a pair of bases.

KENOLI FONSECA went 3-for-4 with three RBI; TYLER PERKINS added two hits, two runs, and went 3-for-3 stealing bases; and AARON VASQUEZ went 2-for-3, including a 2-run homer.

Following Tuesday's road game at UC San Diego -- the Tritons are ranked 30th in NCAA Division II by Collegiate Baseball -- San Diego Christian will play Occidental in the Hawks' rescheduled home-field debut on Wednesday. Left-hander CLINT PRIESENDORFER is slated to start, with first pitch slated for 2 p.m., but fans are asked to arrive early for Opening Day ceremonies for the new program.

© East County Sports.com
BARONA INDIAN RESERVATION (1-31-07) -- The first-ever home games for the San Diego Christian College baseball team will need to wait another day, as Wednesday's (Jan. 31) scheduled doubleheader against Simpson University of Redding, Calif., was cancelled by rain. Becuase of Simpson's travel schedule, the contests will not be re-scheduled.

The Hawks (1-0) next play Friday in a re-match with Cal State San Marcos at San Marcos High School. Next week, following a game Tuesday (Feb. 6) ballgame at UC San Diego in La Jolla, SDCC hopes to play its first home game on Wednesday (Feb.7) against Occidental College at Stars Field at Barona. All three of these games are slated for 2 p.m.

© East County Sports.com
SAN MARCOS (1-25-07) -- A pair of local colleges debuted their brand-new baseball teams against each other Wednesday (Jan.23), but only one would win. That team was San Diego Christian College, which scored 10 times in the first three innings to down CSU San Marcos, 14-8, at San Marcos High School.

 

HAWKS 14, COUGARS 8
SD Christian CS San Marcos	2 7 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 -- 14 13 1 0 1 2 0 5 0 0 0 0 -- 08 11 2
McDonald, Priesendorfer (4), Janke (7) and Jarmakowicz. Julien, Dean (2), McCormick (4), Casanada (5), Harrell (6), Richardson (7), Julio (9) and Way. W -- Janke (1-0). L -- Julien (0-1). HR -- Moritz (CSUSM), Way (CSUSM), Doane (SDCC), Rauch (SDCC), Perkins (SDCC), Vasquez (SDCC).
Records: SDCC (1-0), CSUSM (0-1).

Oxnard College transfer Jesse McDonald pitched the first three innings, then former Grossmont College pitcher LANCE JANKE tossed the final two frames without allowing a run to receive the scoirer's decision victory.

SDCC (1-0) pounded four home runs as part of a 13-hit attack, including a grand slam by another former Griffins standout, BRANDON RAUCH in the 2nd. The others were clouted by JOSH DOANE, Palomar College transfer TYLER PERKINS, and Texas A&M transfer AARON VASQUEZ.

In front of a crowd of close to 300, KENOLI FONSECA started the season with a base hit to left field. That same inning, with two outs, Doane hit a 2-1 pitch over the fence in right field for the first home run ever by the Hawks.

The Hawks next action is next Wednesday, hosting Simpson University in an 11 a.m. doubleheader at Stars Field at Barona.

Notes -- ERIC JULIENNE, a freshman left-hander out of Valhalla High, tossed the historic opening pitch -- a fastball over the mddle for a called strike.