BLYTHEWOOD – Over spring break, the Westwood baseball team got back-to-back victories over Ridge View and Swansea.
On April 12 at Ridge View, The Redhawks (6-8) broke a 3-3 tie with the Blazers with the game winning run in the top of the seventh inning. Austin Jeffcoat reached on an error that brought him to second base. Gabriel Espinosa singled him home.
Roderick Frazier went in as a courtesy runner for Espinosa, moved to second on a groundout, and tried to score on Xavier Johnson’s one-out single. Frazier was ruled out on an umpire appeal, and Conner Brown struck out to retire the side.
No matter, Remy Gilbert came on the mound in the seventh for the Redhawks, and while he loaded the bases with two out, Cedrick O’Neil got caught stealing to end the game and close out Westwood’s 4-3 win.
Espinosa and Johnson each had two hits. Austin Jeffcoat and Nathan Caldwell both doubled.
Against Swansea April 13, Westwood locked up a 10-9 victory in dramatic fashion.
The Tigers went up 6-0 after the first two innings and led the Redhawks 8-4 after the fourth.
With Swansea leading 9-4 going into the bottom of the sixth, Westwood went to work with two outs.
With Gilbert on base after being hit by a pitch, Caldwell scored him on an RBI single to right. Jeffcoat drew a walk, then Espinosa’s ground single to J Harper at third base pushed in both courtesy runner Frazier and Jeffcoat to make it 9-7 Tigers.
With courtesy runner Kendell Gandy in for Espinosa, Brandon Grindstaff was hit by a pitch, putting runners at first and second for Evan Dow. Dow’s double into centerfield scored both Espinosa and Grindstaff to tie the game at 9.
Johnson ended the inning with a flyout, but Westwood held Swansea scoreless in the top of the seventh.
Micah Henryhand led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and Gilbert was hit by a pitch. Xavier DeJesus then walked up to the plate and later swung on a 1-2 pitch and sent it to leftfield. Henryhand scored the walk-off run to close out the win.
Caldwell, Espinosa, and Henryhand all had two hits. Dow and Grindstaff both doubled.
Westwood fell 9-3 at Irmo Tuesday.
