Westwood’s Rashawn Green (15) races down to second as Blythewood’s Barrette Grant takes the throw down from home and Justin Greider backs up. (Photo/Kristy Kimball Massey)
BLYTHEWOOD – The Blythewood bats are starting to come around.
The Bengals banged out 11 hits, including four for extra bases, to get past and ultimately rout crosstown rival Westwood 10-1 Tuesday night at Redhawks stadium.
“We’re getting a little better,” Blythewood head coach Barry Mizzell said. “We’re getting used to being without the guys who are hurt. We’ve got some guys who haven’t played a lot who are getting to bat this year and they’re getting better. I think we’re gaining momentum.”
Blythewood (11-4) broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the fourth, picking up three runs on four hits. Jordyn Adams hit the first of his two doubles on the night, a 2-out shot into the center field gap that scored Chandler Henderson and Jacob Davis to make it 3-1 Bengals. Andrew Crook singled Adams home to make it 4-1 by the time Justin Greiner popped out to end the inning.
The Bengals picked up two runs on two hits in the sixth, and capped the night with a 4-run seventh.
Adams, Greiner, Henderson and Davis each had two hits. Davis hit a two-run triple in the seventh. Tyler Romanik doubled and walked in his two late-game at-bats.
“Early in the game I was really pleased with us getting some runners on, but we didn’t get that many hits,” Mizzell said. “But they stayed calm and the second time through (the order) our guys got some much better at-bats.”
Blythewood hitting backed up Davis’ strong mound performance. The right-hander got out of a first-inning jam and lasted six innings.
“Jacob hadn’t pitched a lot because of some arm problems, and his last outing was very average,” Mizzell said. “But he went out tonight and was really aggressive. He gave up a few hits but he didn’t walk anybody. He seemed to get better later in the game.”
Davis finished the night striking out six and walking none.
Hunter Lomas closed out the seventh inning, striking out two.
Davis didn’t start out so strong.
After Westwood made light work of the Bengals in the top of the first, the Redhawks (4-9) led off with back-to-back singles from T.J. White and Rayshawn Green.
White and Green moved to third and second on Ian Miller’s infield ground out, and White scored on Gavin Burroughs’ infield hit that brought Green to third.
Davis held his ground though, and struck out Joshua Bunts and Brandon May to retire the side.
The Redhawks collected six hits over the next five innings, but couldn’t string anything together into a run.
“We played well, we had some hits and should have scored two in the first,” Westwood head coach Jonathan Burroughs said. “We hung in there but pitching-wise we got tired. We were pretty thin on the mound.”
Blythewood tied the game at 1 in the third inning, when Crook came home on Greiner’s one-out single. Justin Lang-Spittler struck out and Barrette Grant flied out to right field to end the inning.
After that frame, Westwood’s pitchers couldn’t hold Blythewood back any longer.
Ray Branson took the loss for Westwood. The left-hander pitched five innings and gave up four runs on five hits, striking out five, walking one and hitting one batter.
T.J. White came on to start the sixth and worked one-plus inning. He gave up five runs on four hits.
Paxton Boozer relieved White after he faced three batters in the seventh and gave up a run.
Green and Burroughs were 3-for-3 to lead Westwood. White was 2-for-3.
BHS: 0-0-1 3-0-2 4 – 10-11-0
WHS: 1-0-0 0-0-0 0 – 1-8-3
B: Jacob Davis (W), Hunter Lomas (7), and Andrew Crook. W: Ray Branson (L), T.J. White (6), Paxton Boozer (7) and Ian Miller. 2B: B – Jordyn Adams (2), Tyler Rominik. 3B: B – Jacob Davis. LOB – B 10, W 5.
