Fans packed the outfield as Westfield faced off against North Hunterdon at home to begin its season.
Westfield started off the game in the field with junior Grace D’Angelo at the mound. After getting out the first batter, North Hunterdon scored on an error. D’Angelo was able to get her team out of the inning quickly after as the next two batters popped out.
The Blue Devils came out swinging with a leadoff double. Grace Loder hit a sacrifice fly later in the inning to even the score at 1-1. Fans burst out in excitement as they knew it would be a high-scoring game. Both teams were swinging for the fences, and had several hits that reached the warning track.
The first two innings went very well for the Blue Devils as they allowed only one hit. Westfield went into the bottom of the second with a chance to take the lead. After an early walk, the Blue Devils easily got into scoring position with a steal. However, three consecutive strikeouts shut down the momentum the Blue Devils were starting to gain.
In the top of the third inning, the Lions took complete control of the game. An error followed by two infield singles loaded the bases for North Hunterdon. A single then scored one, followed by a double that brought in two. The next batter hit a sacrifice fly into right field, putting North Hunterdon up 5-1.
“We struggled with the mental game and had plays missed that should’ve been made,” said senior Avery Pierce.
However, the Blue Devils did not let this discourage them. Westfield put up 2 runs in the third, making the score 5-3. These runs were huge for the team and sparked some life. “We were able to capitalize well on opportunities to score and the team was able to pick each other up,” Pierce said.
This momentum carried the Blue Devils into the fourth, where an RBI single and a two-run home run from Alex Laguna tied the game at 6-6. This deep shot into center field electrified the crowd and it seemed as if the momentum had fully shifted to Westfield’s side.
Unfortunately, this was not the case as the Blue Devils were not able to put another run on the board, while North Hunterdon added 5 runs in the next three innings. Despite the Blue Devils’ late struggles, they totaled 7 hits and scored 6 runs.
Westfield will play Governor Livingston next on Wednesday at home; a team the Blue Devils beat two out of three times last season.
