Warren's Grand Slam Highlights Dominant Win Over Bethesda 

PASADENA, Calif. — Senior first baseman Jack Warren smashed his second grand slam of the season to help lead the Caltech baseball team to a monumental 11-5 victory over Bethesda University (Calif.) Tuesday Afternoon. The home run was Warren's fourth this year, sparking a huge game for the San Mateo native who later drove in two more runs for a career-high six RBIs on the day. 

Fellow senior Will Dembski led off for the Beavers, quickly advancing to first base after being hit by a pitch. Batting second for the home team was first-year second baseman Mark Hu, who advanced on a single up the middle; next to the plate was sophomore Jack Fishel centerfielder, who drew a walk. 

With the bases loaded and nobody out, Warren swung on the first pitch, blasting it deep down the left field line and over the fence for the grand slam. 

The Beavers were far from finished in the inning, as a double to right field from junior third baseman Gautam Chawla and a walk from first-year shortstop Brendan Flaherty would again put runners on base. A well-placed single down the left field line from sophomore catcher Edward Speer advanced Flaherty to third base and scored Chawla, giving Caltech a 5-0 lead. 

Dembski then returned to the plate for the second time in the inning as the Beavers had already run through the lineup, connecting for a two-RBI double to left center, scoring both Flaherty and Speer to make it a 7-0 game.

Bethesda had no answer for the first three innings as rookie starting pitcher Luke Lamitina kept the Flames off the scoreboard until the fourth inning, throwing a respectable four innings with just two earned runs allowed.

Caltech extended its lead in the bottom of the fourth after Dembski clobbered a ground-rule double and then scored the Beavers' eighth run, Warren grounding a single through the right side for his fifth RBI. Four consecutive base hits opened the Beavers' sixth inning as Speer and Dembski singled ahead of Hu's RBI double and Fishel's RBI single. Warren then grounded out but scored Hu to give the Beavers an 11-2 advantage.

First-year Brendan Flaherty a solid eighth and ninth for the Beavers, allowing just one hit and no runs while striking out three Bethesda batters.

With nothing but SCIAC competition remaining on the 2023 schedule, Head Coach Kevin Whitehead and the Beavers will wrap up the month of March at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Friday, Mar. 31 at 3 p.m.