BOOM!

By Brandon Petersen

Westcliff Baseball opened its 2026 season the hard way Friday afternoon — on the road, in the rain, and against a familiar, always-tough opponent — and passed its first test with a statement ninth inning.

Ben Carter launched a go-ahead solo shot in the top of the ninth, and Justin Guzman closed the door moments later as the Warriors edged The Master's 4-3 in the season opener at Lou Herwaldt Stadium in Santa Clarita.

The win came after weather forced Westcliff to relocate its opening tilt away from the Great Park, turning what was supposed to be a home start into a long trip north. The Warriors will return to Santa Clarita for Games 2 and 3 of the series, scheduled for Saturday.

Locked in a 3-3 tie after The Master's erased a two-run Westcliff lead with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth, Carter provided the decisive swing in his first at-bat of the season, driving a 1-0 pitch over the fence to put the Warriors back in front.

Guzman followed with a dominant ninth inning, retiring the side in order on eight pitches to secure the save and seal the program's first win of the year.

Westcliff's opening-day resilience mirrored the tone of a burgeoning season filled with both opportunity and urgency. Under third-year head coach Dylan Hoffman, the Warriors are chasing a return to the postseason for the fourth time in the program's six-year history, armed with a veteran-heavy roster and proven power throughout the lineup.

Much of that attention centers on the middle infield and first base, where Patrick Morgan and Jack Varney are both climbing the program's all-time home run list. Morgan, a right-handed-hitting second baseman, entered the season with 14 career home runs, just one shy of tying Trey Harmon's school record of 15. Varney, a left-handed first baseman, isn't far behind at 10 career homers and figures prominently in the same chase as the season unfolds.

Morgan contributed to Friday's scoring with an RBI groundout in the eighth inning, while Varney drew traffic at the plate throughout the afternoon as Westcliff steadily applied pressure.

The Warriors struck first in the fifth, tying the game when Tyler Nelson singled home Riley Vogt. Westcliff broke ahead in the eighth on Morgan's RBI groundout and Ryan Duron's run-scoring double, only to see The Master's capitalize on defensive miscues to pull even.

Carter's ninth-inning blast ultimately decided it.

On the mound, Brendon Demuth delivered a strong opening start, allowing one run over seven innings with six strikeouts. Andrew Wright earned the win with two-thirds of a scoreless eighth before Guzman's shutdown finish.

Westcliff finished with seven hits and four RBIs, getting multi-hit performances from Duron and Nelson in the opener.

The Warriors and Mustangs will return to Lou Herwaldt Stadium on Saturday to complete the three-game series, with Westcliff looking to build early momentum in a season defined by experience, expectations, and a record chase already in motion.