SUMTER — The Westwood baseball team came out of Spring Break with a 2-0 clutch 8-inning shutout victory at Sumter Tuesday night.
With the game scoreless after seven innings, Zachary Nelson singled to right field with one out in the top of the eighth. Nathan Caldwell was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second base. Courtesy runner Wesley Graves came in to run for Caldwell at first.
Austin Jeffcoat came to bat, took the first pitch for a ball, then swung on and drove a base hit into centerfield for a double. Caldwell and Graves both scored on the play.
Jayden Quarles, who doubled earlier in the game, drew a walk, but Graves, pinch-hitting for Gabriel Espinosa, struck out and Blaize Owen flied out to retire the side.
Those were all the runs the Redhawks (10-9, 4-5 Region 5-5A) needed for the win. Caldwell took the mound in the bottom of the eighth and gave up a hit and hit a batter, but closed out a win and a complete-game shutout. He scattered five hits and struck out four.
Last week the Redhawks went 1-1 in Spring Break tournament in Myrtle Beach.
Westwood downed Rush-Henrietta 2-0 on Monday but dropped Wednesday’s game 10-4.
Westwood hosts Sumter tonight at 6:30 p.m.
Westwood – 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-2 – 2, 5, 0
Sumter – 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 – 0, 5, 0
WP: Nathan Caldwell, 8 IP, 5H, 3BB, 4K
W – Austin Jeffcoat 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI. Jayden Quarles 2B.
