Huntington Beach, CA - Golden West baseball (14-6, 2-1 OEC) took two of three from the Fullerton Hornets (13-8, 1-2 OEC), 5-4. 

The Rustlers hosted the Hornets for the rubber match at Fred Hoover Field as both lineups looked to win their first conference series. Golden West took the opener against Fullerton in dominant fashion 7-3 and the Hornets took the middle game 7-15. Back at home, the energy was high for the Rustlers as the team was able to perform in front of their fans again. 

The top of the first went accordingly for the home team as a Hornets base hit allowed the Rustlers to turn a 6-4-3 double-play. It was a quiet first three frames with neither side able to plate a run. In the top of the fourth, Fullerton pieced together a run to take a lead, 0-1. Two innings later, the visiting Hornets scored two from a home run, 0-3.

Golden West answered back in the bottom of the sixth frame as Robert Castillo led it off. He roasted the second pitch over the high wall in left center field above the 390 ft sign for the home team's first run of the game, 1-3. Fullerton would score a fourth run off of a Rustlers error to extend their lead in the seventh, 1-4. 

After the stretch, the home team cut their deficit in half as Jack Salmon smacked the ball over the ivy right field wall for a solo blast, 2-4. An inning later, Ayden Garcia led off the inning with a walk for a Golden West base runner. Zech Samayoa stepped up to the plate and poked the ball down the left field line for a two-run home run to tie the game at four apiece, 4-4. 

It was a thrilling finish as the matchup headed into extra innings with the two sides tied. In the tenth inning, Golden West loaded the bases with one out. Andrew Kirchner lifted the ball deep enough to center field to score Garica from third and win the game in walk-off fashion, 5-4. Four of the five Rustlers runs came from the long ball as Samayoa, Salmon and Castillo went yard. Hero of the game was Kirchner who got the game winning RBI to send the Rustlers home happy and take the conference series opener from the Fullerton Hornets. 

UP NEXT: Golden West will begin a three-game conference series against the Riverside Tigers on Tuesday, March 12th. First pitch at Fred Hoover Field will begin at 2pm.