FULLERTON – Hope International baseball defeated Westcliff by scores of 11-6 and 6-1 on Saturday at Amerige Park, winning for the fifth time in its last six games.

Matthew Pinal was the hitting star for the Royals, going 4-for-9 with two runs scored, five RBI and a grand slam. San Diego transfer Isaiah Lane had three hits in his HIU debut, and David Shackelford posted three hits as well. 

In game two, southpaw Josh Landry notched his fifth career game with double-digit strikeouts.

Game 1 – No. 4 Hope International 11, Westcliff 6

HIU starter Jake Thrift shut down the Warrior offense for three innings before allowing an RBI single to Nick Malvini in the fourth.

But the Royals battled back in a big way in the bottom half. Spencer Davis got aboard on a two-out throwing error, and David Allen and Lane followed with a single and a walk, respectively. Pinal unloaded with a towering shot to right field for the grand slam and a 4-1 lead.

HIU made it 5-1 in the fifth on a Matthew Ziroli RBI groundout. Westcliff got a run back in the sixth as Malvini was hit by a pitch, and proceeded to score following three straight wild pitches.

However, the Royals scored another four runs in the bottom half of the sixth. Allen came home on a wild pitch, Shackelford knocked home Lane with an RBI single and Matias Nolasco clubbed a two-RBI double to expand the HIU lead to 9-2.

The lead ballooned to 11-2 in the seventh thanks to a Colby Moran two-RBI double that plated both Allen and Lane, who both walked to start off the inning.

Westcliff did make a last ditch effort to come back, scoring four runs in the ninth as the Warriors had four hits and three walks.

Thrift got the no-decision as he lasted 4.2 innings with four hits and one run allowed. Luke Wallin got the win with 1.1 relief innings. Tyler Tilton also threw one effective inning in relief.

Game 2 – No. 4 Hope International 6, Westcliff 1

Landry struck out eight through four innings, including fanning the side in the fourth.

He allowed a pair of bunt singles in the third to the Warriors, but struck out AJ Quezada and Jack Varney to finish the inning. 

HIU struck first with two runs in the first as leadoff hitter Shackelford doubled and came home on Pinal's base hit. With Pinal on second, Nolasco's RBI knock gave the Royals the early lead.

The Warriors halved their deficit in the fifth on a one-out solo home run from Kailen Kimata. But the Royals responded immediately with two runs in the bottom half, getting both with two outs. Luis Vargas doubled and Hunter Essang roped an RBI triple into right center. Davis followed with an RBI single to put the Royals up 4-1.

Landry walked the leadoff batter in the sixth, but got Varney to ground into a double play and struck out Patrick Morgan to polish off the inning.

He retired the final nine Westcliff hitters, pitching a clean seventh and eighth.

The Royals added two insurance runs in the seventh. Shackelford singled home Christian Robinson, and Essang came around on a wild pitch.

James Williams fanned two in a scoreless ninth. Landry got the win to improve to 3-1, striking out a season-high 11, while Westcliff starter Slater Thiesen took the loss. Thiesen went 4.2 innings, surrendering nine hits and four runs.

The Royals look toward the start of conference play, hosting The Master's on Thursday for a 4:00 p.m. game.