RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Hope International baseball team outscored La Sierra 18-2 to sweep a doubleheader in Friday GSAC action.
The Royals won game one 8-2 and blanked the Golden Eagles 10-0 in game two to improve 15-8 overall and 6-2 in the GSAC.
Tyler Tilton pitched 5.0 strong innings in game one to earn the win. He allowed just two hits and one run while fanning three hitters.
The Royals scored twice in the second and once in the third to build a 3-1 lead.
HIU's four-run sixth opened up a 7-1 advantage. Isaiah Lane drew a bases loaded walk, and Eric Valdivia roped a two-RBI single. Colby Moran also contributed a sacrifice fly to score Lane.
La Sierra scored a run in the eighth, and HIU plated a run in the ninth to complete the scoring. With the bases loaded, Lane got hit by a pitch to bring in Henry Borjas, who led off the inning with a double.
Lane finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. Ethan Bigani went 2-for-2 with an RBI to help spearhead a 10-hit attack.
Jayson Thomas threw 2.0 effective scoreless innings of relief, striking out three.
In game two, Josh Landry had another dominant outing as the southpaw tossed 5.0 innings of three-hit scoreless ball. He did not walk a batter and struck out five. Nic Cortez and Cooper Bagby each threw a clean inning as the Royals earned their second shutout victory this season.
The Royals scored in each of the first three innings to build a 4-0 lead. Borjas had an RBI single in the third to plate Eddie Cotto.
HIU tacked on three more runs in the fifth, with Cotto providing an RBI single and Borjas doubling down the left field line to bring home Cotto.
The Royals added a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh. Robert Linares drove in Royce Clayton with a single and HIU notched its 10th run on a Spencer Davis fielder's choice.
Landry improved to 5-1 on the season. Justin Hurst fell to 2-2 with the loss, allowing three runs and four walks in just 1.1 innings.
The Royals return home on Friday, March 13 to start a four-game series against Benedictine Mesa. First pitch of the doubleheader is 11:00 a.m.