BLYTHEWOOD – The Westwood baseball team has won and lost close games in the past couple of weeks, including a 2-0 shutout at Region 5-5A rival Sumter April 22, followed by a 4-1 loss to the Gamecocks at home two days later.
Tuesday night’s game against West Florence could have gone either way. The Redhawks took an early lead, but midway through the game the Knights found their stroke and kept on swinging to an 8-1 victory.
For Westwood (10-11, 4-7 Region 5-5A) the loss was a disappointment.
“Since spring break we’ve been playing some pretty good baseball, and it’s kind of like this game right here. It was a 1-0 game for the most part and we kept battling, defense played well, pitchers threw their tails off,” Head coach Nathan Caldwell said. “We had a little fiasco in the fourth inning and had a pitching change because Austin (Jeffcoat) started cramping up really bad.”
Jeffcoat gave up two hits going into the fourth inning, but surrendered two hits to start the fourth before making way for first baseman Gabriel Espinosa. Espinosa faced seven batters in the fourth. Jeffcoat was charged the first two runs, but Espinosa gave up two more runs in West Florence’s four-run, five-hit inning.
“It just wasn’t his night,” Caldwell said, adding that while the 4-1 deficit was hard, the team needed to work to overcome it.
“Sometimes you’ve got to battle adversity, that’s what good teams do,” he said. “When you’re going to the playoffs and you’re going to play a caliber of team like that, you’ve got to battle, you’ve got to be ready to go into certain situations and be ready to be that dog.”
Westwood did get to West Florence starting pitcher Cooper Coleman right away.
Kellen Moore led off the bottom of the first inning with a double and Zach Nelson promptly singled him in for the Redhawks’ only run of the game.
At the time, however, it seemed like the Redhawks were poised for a big inning. Nathan Caldwell hit into a fielder’s choice, but Jeffcoat singled to centerfield to put runners at first and second. After Jayden Quarles struck out for the second out, the runners moved to second and third for Espinosa. Espinosa flied out to retire the side, stranding the runners.
The Redhawks made a similar move in the bottom of the second inning. Ivan DeJesus hit a 2-out single, and Moore hit his second double of the game to put runners at second and third again with two out. Nelson grounded out to end the inning, leaving two more runners on base.
Westwood stranded 11 baserunners in the game.
Meanwhile, Coleman kept his cool on the mound. He worked six innings, giving up six hits, striking out seven and walking two.
“He threw his tail off. He’s a good pitcher,” Coach Caldwell said. “I thought we battled him well. I thought we hit him around early and rattled him a little bit, but then we got complacent and let him settle back in, and that’s what I told them we can’t do. We’ve got to keep pressing the petal to the metal.”
The team’s three seniors, Xavier DeJesus, Gabriel Espinosa, and Torrese Neal, were honored before the game.
“I know it’s senior night, and they should embrace senior night,” Caldwell said in getting ready for tonight’s final region game at West Florence. “But when the clock strikes 12, Senior night’s over, and we come out tomorrow and prepare like we did earlier in the week. We need to come out and give them the best game we can so we can have a little better seeding in the playoffs.”
The Westwood softball team (5-16, 4-7) fell 14-0 Sumter Thursday, and 14-3 to West Florence Tuesday.
Azaria Belton had two hits and Haylee Ann Prevatt doubled for the Redhawks against Sumter.
Against West Florence, Annarea Wilson hit a 2-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Westwood baseball and softball wrap up region play at West Florence tonight.
Baseball
Sumter – 0-1-1-0-0-0-2 – 4, 11, 0
Westwood – 1-0-0-0-0-0-0 – 1, 4, 4
WP: Cory Bailey, 6 IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 4BB, 5K.
S – Marion Davis 3-3. Morgan Love 2-4. Jacori Jackson 2 RBI.
West Florence – 0-0-0-4-0-1-3 – 8, 11, 1
Westwood – 1-0-0-0-0-0-0 – 1, 7, 2
WP: Cooper Coleman, 6 IP, 6H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 7K.
WF – Cooper Coleman 2-3. Matthew Brown 2-4. Chase Anderson 2-4. Ryan Coscetti 3 RBI. Avery Weaver 2 RBI. W – Kellen Moore 2-4, 2B(2).
Softball
Sumter – 8-2-2-2 – 14, 12, 0
Westwood – 0-0-0-0 – 0, 4, 1
WP: Lillie Ivey, 2 1/3 IP, 2H, 3K.
S – Mylah Ardis 2-3, 3 RBI. McKayla Mouradjian 2-4, HR, 2 RBI. Remy Shaul 2-4, 2B. McKenzi Pearson 2-2, 2B. Corey Grimsley HR. W – Azaria Belton 2-2. Haylee Ann Prevatt 2B.
West Florence – 1-1-2-4-1-5 – 14, 12, 1
Westwood – 0-0-0-1-0-2 – 3, 5, 9
WP: Annie Ruth Eliason, 3 IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 7K.
WF – Charisma Williams 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI. Hanna Grace Duke 2-3. Annie Ruth Eliason HR, 2 RBI. Anniston Kirshy 2 RBI Hanna Marsik 2 RBI. W – Annarea Wilson HR, 2 RBI.
