WF – SULLIVAN, CESTERO, IVES; SPF – BELLISTRI ON ‘O’
It sure did not come easy when the Westfield High School baseball team hosted the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Raiders at Bob Brewster, Sr. Field in Westfield on April 16. Trailing 4-2, the Raiders showed that they had plenty of Moxie by plating two runs in the seventh and holding Westfield scoreless to force extra innings but the Blue Devils also held then caught a break in the bottom of the eighth to pull out a 5-4 victory.
The big break scenario in the eighth inning was set up by designated hitter Aaron Ives, who led off and took a fastball to his side. Kellen Edwards put down a sacrifice bunt to move Ives to second then Liam Sullivan’s grounder to short drew a throw that sailed past the first baseman as Ives skipped home with the game winner.
Sullivan finished 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a run scored. In addition to being hit, Ives finished with a single, RBI and two runs scored. Randy Davis went 2-for-4 with a double and Braedan Trajkovski singled, was hit and stole a base.
Raider pitcher Jack Byrne, who was the winning pitcher in a 4-1 win over the Cranford Cougars, recorded 10 strikeouts, while walking one and hitting a batter, in seven innings against the 7-0 Blue Devils. CJ Bates relieved in the eighth inning. Grant Como started for Westfield and recorded three strikeouts before being relieved by Tommy Highland (4 strikeouts) with two outs in the fourth inning. Winning pitcher Logan Revock stepped on the mound in the eighth inning and recorded two strikeouts.
“Westfield is a very good team and I was happy with the fight that our kids showed. For the second straight start, Jack did a great job against a potent lineup. Despite the loss I think this game will benefit us in the future,” Raider Head Coach Joe Higgins said.
The Blue Devils took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Edwards was hit by a pitch, stole second base and scored on Ives’ RBI single. Mikey Lynch laced an RBI double and scored on Sullivan’s RBI double.
The Raiders scored twice in the top of the fourth inning to narrow the score to 3-2. Alex Bolton (2-for-4) singled and Chris Kennedy (2 walks, stolen base) walked then catcher Mike Bellistri (2-for-4) stepped to the plate and belted a two-run double.
The Blue Devils felt a need to add runs so Tomas Cestero (2-for-4) tagged one of the longest doubles at Brewster, Sr. Field when it bounced off the centerfield fence to bring home courtesy runner Charlie McCormack in the bottom of the fourth.
The Raiders went down 1-2-3 in the fifth but Blue Devil shortstop Nic Labin made a brilliant snag of Ryan Quinones’ grounder and fired to Trajkovski, who made an impressive stretch to get the out. Trajkovski led off the Westfield fifth with a single to left then cruised to second on a pitch in the dirt. Kevin Dowling replaced him at second but Byrne got Davis to line out to shallow center and struck out the next two batters to escape any damage.
Stubborn pitching kept the score at 4-2 until the top of the seventh inning. Raider Jack Sponheimer (3 walks, stolen base) skid a double past the diving centerfielder. Joe LaRosa (hit by pitch) sliced an RBI single down the right field line then added some of that moxie by stealing second. After Jaden Carpien’s fly ball was hauled in by the centerfielder, Ryan Quinones tied the score with a one-out RBI single up the middle and managed to get to second for a possible go-ahead run. Hyland on the mound, then fanned the next two batters.
Byrnes struck out the first batter in the Westfield seventh then hit Trajkovski on the helmet. Davis chopped a single past short but Byrne got Edwards to ground out and fanned Labin. Revock did allow a single to Bellistri in the eighth but struck out two batters and got the other to pop up to short to set the stage for the dramatic ending.
Blue Devil Head Coach Jay Cook said, “I think SPF is a very solid team that’s getting better each game. It was a great win to get and some guys stepped up big time when asked to. I’m very happy with the way our guys picked each other up.”
Sc Pl-Fanwood 000 200 20 4 Westfield 030 100 01 3
