Jon Popadics

Santa Clarita, Calif. — Developing good habits is always profitable.  And, nothing could be more habit-forming and profitable these days than the way The Master’s College is taking care of doubleheaders.

Fueled by two strong pitching performances and an offense that was equal parts power and patience, the Mustangs took two from San Diego Christian on Saturday afternoon, beating the Hawks 11-3 and 5-1.

Not only did the Mustangs sweep a twin bill from the Hawks for the second time this season, they also took all six games between the two clubs in 2015.

More importantly, the victories kept the Mustangs (31-7 overall, 24-6 GSAC) 1 1/2 games ahead of second-place Westmont as the regular season enters its final month of play.

The Mustangs didn’t waste any time creating some separation in the opener as Jon Popadics (Boise, ID), showing little effect from hamate bone surgery, sparked a four-run first inning after senior starter Ty Galloway (Modesto, CA) struck out the side in the top of the frame.  Popadics doubled down the left-field line, moved to third base on Steven Karkenny’s (Chatsworth, CA) single, and scored on Collin Nyenhuis’ base hit to left field.

Nick Covello (Skillman, NJ) then provided the big hit of the inning, driving in both Karkenny and Nyenhuis with a double to right-center field.  Covello eventually scored the inning’s final run on a Sam Robison (San Juan Capistrano, CA) groundout.

After the Hawks retaliated in the top of the second, halving the deficit on Justin De La Nuez’ two -run homer, the Mustangs got those runs back two innings later on a Popadics’ double that scored Bryce Clancy(Phoenix, AZ), who had earned a leadoff walk, and a Collin Nyenhuis (Vista,CA) sacrifice fly that plated Caleb Halverson (Temple City, CA).

Following a scoreless fifth, the Hawks pulled within 6-3 in the sixth, using a walk, a stolen base, and a run-scoring double to halve the deficit in Galloway’s final inning on the mound.  That, though, would be the last time SDCC would cross home plate in the opener.

As they’ve all done all year, though, the Mustangs responded at the plate, scoring two more runs in the bottom of the frame on a Halverson single that scored Josh Brown (Valencia, CA) and another Nyenhuis sacrifice fly (third rbi) that plated Halverson once again for an 8-3 lead.

They weren’t done, either.  In the seventh, the Mustangs increased the advantage to 10-3, using four hits, highlighted by Matt Janes’ (Riverside, CA) two-run single, to put the game out of reach.  They tacked on the game’s final run in the eighth on a Robison bases-loaded walk.

Following Galloway’s six-inning stint, featuring a season-high 10 strikeouts, that improved his record to 8-2, Aaron Alexander (Concord, CA) and Hunter Totemeier (Santa Ynez, CA) finished up, combining for three scoreless frames.

Popadics paced the club’s 15-hit attack with four hits (4-5) while Nyenhuis, Covello, and David Sheaffer (Mt. Airy, NC) had two hits apiece.

In contrast to the opener, runs and hits were at a premium in the nightcap, especially through the initial five innings.

Still, there were runs scored and Popadics saw to that in the bottom of the first when he clubbed a Spencer Long offering over the left field fence for the first home run of an injury-shortened senior season.

Mustang starter Conner Menez (Hollister, CA) made that lead stand up through the first two innings, facing the minimum six batters in that span, but in the top of the third Geordy Smith took him over the left field fence, knotting the game at 1-1.

After two relatively quiet innings at the plate, the Mustangs countered that homer with a long ball of their own in the last of the fourth when Karkenny blasted a Long pitch over the center field fence for his team-leading 11th roundtripper (33rd of his career) of the year and his fourth in as many games to put his club 2-1.

That put the Mustangs ahead to stay and Menez (5-0) saw to that.  He shut out the Hawks the rest of the way, allowing just one hit over the final three innings and closing out SDCC in 1-2-3 fashion in the seventh to stay undefeated.  Menez won his fifth straight decision and went the distance for the second time, scattering five hits and striking out a season-high eight batters.

His teammates allowed him to stay aggressive when they scored three more times in the fifth, giving him a 5-1 lead to work with.  They did it on a Nyenhuis two-run triple that scored Popadics and Karkenny, and a Sheaffer sacrifice fly that brought home courtesy runner Josh Robison (San Juan Capistrano, CA).

The team’s eighth straight home win propels the club into a short week as they host Arizona Christian on Wednesday and Thursday in a pre-Easter, three-game GSAC series.  Wednesday’s opener starts at 3:00pm on Reese Field.