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Westchester pitcher Derek Marshal. Photo, Scott Zeidman.
Dateline Moses Lake, WA – Amazing, isn’t it, what a little rest can do for a baseball team? After a long flight and even longer bus ride, Westside Baseball’s Westchester Babe Ruth 14-and-under team struggled to a 7-1 victory in the opening game of the World Series on Saturday.
On Sunday, the Westchester bats woke up. They pounded out 14 hits against an overmatched New Hampshire All-Star team, winning 11-7.
On Monday, Westchester faced the previously undefeated state of Florida champion in a game to determine the No. 1 seed in the single elimination playoffs that begin Thursday. The game was no contest. Westchester cruised,15-10.
Westchester improved to 3-0 and clinched the No. 1 seed in the American Division. Westchester will play Washington on Wednesday, and then begins single elimination play on Friday. A victory on Friday will put Westchester in the World Series finals on Saturday.
Westchester rudely greeted Florida starter Cole Blochowski with seven first-inning hits, knocking Blochowski from the game after he had recorded just two outs.
Justin Morris got things started when he was hit by a pitch for the third time in the World Series. Kelvin Murillo and Aaron Greenfield each singled, and Nolan Martinez tripled giving Westchester a 3-0 lead. Saul Martinez reached base on an error and Derek Marshall singled to center. After a Dylan Sledge fielder’s choice, Jonathan Phelps singled, Morris tripled and Murillo singled, giving Westchester an 8-0 first inning lead.
Westchester starting pitcher Derek Marshall cruised through the first two scoreless innings, but gave up two runs in the top of the third, narrowing Westchester’s lead to 8-2. Westchester countered in the bottom of the third with four runs. Phelps opened with a walk, and after Dailin Lee’s base hit, there were singles by Murillo, Greenfield and Marshall, plus an error on a Martinez grounder for four runs.
Florida came back for seven in the top of the fourth inning on eight hits. But Marshall pitched his way through, and kept Westchester in the game with a 12-9 lead. After Florida scored one in the top of the fifth, Westchester answered back with three in the bottom of the sixth on singles by Saul Martinez, Phelps, Lee and Morris’ second triple of the game. Marshall held onto the five-run win, pitching a scoreless seventh inning.
Morris and Murillo continued to lead the Westchester offense. Between them, they had five hits, scored four runs and knocked in five. Greenfield, Phelps and Lee each had two hits, and pitcher Marshall went three for three.
Lee, who is having an incredible series at the plate, put things into perspective. “We’ve scored a lot of runs (34 in three games) but we can’t expect teams to roll over. We have to keep working hard, and we’ve got to keep executing. Our coaching staff has done a great job of getting us prepared and keeping us balanced.”
Mr. Zeidman may be contacted at scz90230@yahoo.com
