Bryce Henson receives the ball too late to complete the pick-off attempt on the Lancaster base-runner
BLYTHEWOOD-Westwood hitters, and the 2-hit pitching of Brandon May, made the Redhawks’ game against Lancaster a short affair.
In a game moved up in the day to accommodate a storm front coming into the Midlands later that evening, Westwood scored in every inning and May struck out six in an 11-1, five-inning victory over the Region 3-4A rival Bruins.
“When we show up to play, we play. Westwood head coach Jonathan Burroughs said. “We hit the ball. We ran the bases well. We didn’t make any mistakes mentally, and when we play like that, we’re pretty dang good.”
Ethan Barton went 3-for-4 with a double to lead Westwood (2-1). Bryce Henson went 2-for-4 with a triple. Anthony LaCola went 2-for-4 with a double. Rashawn Green each had two hits.
Elijah Heatley, who reached on an error and had two walks and scored two runs, was the only Redhawk who went without a hit.
May’s only real trouble on the mound came in the fourth inning, when Lancaster loaded the bases on a hit and two walks. He struck out two though, and got J.P. Cunningham to ground out to retire the side.
“It was good to see him struggle through a little adversity,” Burroughs said. “He didn’t have his fastball today, so he had to live on his off-speed stuff, which is the sign of a good pitcher.”
Westwood’s first two batters of the game made their first scoring combination. LaCola led off the game with an infield hit, moved to second as Matthew Oxendine batted, and Oxendine drove him in with a long single to rightfield. Oxendine later scored on Barton’s 2-out single up the middle to give the Redhawks a 2-0 lead. Jab Bennett struck out to retire the side.
Lancaster got a run back in the second on no hits.
Even though May struck out the side, a dropped third strike on Cunningham enabled the Bruin to reach base safely. Logan Phillips, who led off the inning with a walk, moved to second and third while May was striking out C.J. Brown and Sergio Vasquez, and scored when Heatley’s throw to Henson at first was not in time.
Cunningham eventually got thrown out trying to steal second base, ending the Bruins’ only highlight of the early evening.
The Westwood bats continued to lash out.
In the second inning, Josh Wise, running for Heatley, scored on Green’s 2-out single up the middle. Connor Buck then reached base on an infield single that scored Oxendine, who reached base when he was hit with a pitch.
Oxendine’s RBI single made it 4-1 Redhawks and chased Bruins starting pitcher Luis Gomez from the mound. Hunter Thomas came on with two outs and struck out Henson to retire the side.
Barton led the 3-run Westwood third with a double. Jab Bennett reached on a bunt single, and Brandon Anderson’s sacrifice bunt scored Barton. After Heatley drew a walk, LaCola doubled both Bennett and Wise, running for Heatley again, home to make it 7-1 Redhawks.
Thomas struck out Oxendine and Green to end the inning, but the Redhawks got a run in the fourth, and three more in the fifth to close out the game.
In that last inning, Green singled, Buck walked, and Henson drove both runners in when he lined a 1-out triple that shot into the left centerfield gap. Barton’s RBI single scored Henson and stopped play.
The Redhawks played Airport in a non-region game Wednesday before hitting the road to play at South Pointe Friday.
Lancaster 010 00 – 1 2 2
Westwood 223 13 – 11 13 0
WP: Brandon May LP: Luis Gomez
Hitters: Westwood – Bryce Henson 2-4, 3B. Ethan Barton 3-4, 2B.Anthony LaCola 2-4, 2B. Rashawn Green 2-4.
