Westfield took the infield in the bottom of the first inning after going scoreless in its first appearances at the plate. Ridge took its turn offensively and quickly capitalized. After what felt like seconds, the Red Devils cashed in with the bases loaded, scoring their first run on an RBI single. Thanks to numerous Blue Devil errors, Ridge runners remained in scoring position, and it was only a matter of time before the Red Devils blew the game open.
Then it happened.
A line drive to center field that would go down as a ground-rule double brought in 2 more runs and increased the Red Devil lead. When the first inning finally came to an end, Ridge led 4-0. It was a taste of what was to come as No. 8 seed Westfield fell to No. 1 Ridge, 8-1, in the North 2, Group 4 sectional quarterfinals, ending the Blue Devils’ season.
Ridge came into Thursday’s game as the heavy favorite. The team’s greatest strength is its impressive bullpen. Coming into the game, the Red Devils’ team ERA was an astounding 1.60.
Westfield began the game with a promising start with a pair of base hits in the first inning. After leaving those runners on, Westfield struggled to find rhythm at the plate. Most hits after the beginning of the game were directly to Ridge players, resulting in quick flyouts or throws to first. A glimmer of hope shone in the fifth when Westfield worked its way into a bases-loaded situation. Both Tomas Cestero and Kellen Edwards reached base via hard-hit balls, and Kevin Dowling walked.
This sudden momentum for the Blue Devils led to their first and only run when Cestero was brought in from third after Nic Labin grounded the ball, a bittersweet moment since this ground ball resulted in a double play and only one runner left on base for Westfield. Randy Davis stepped up next and hit one of the hardest balls all day. However, it was easily caught by the center fielder, ending the inning and the Westfield hope.
While the Westfield hope seemed to be drained, the effort and competitiveness never wavered.
“It is a part of the culture we’re trying to build and continue to build on every day,” said head coach Jay Cook. “I always say, no matter what, compete. You’re gonna get calls that go for you, and a lot against you, but you always have to compete.”
Three pitchers took the mound for Westfield. The first was starting pitcher Jack Chavez. Chavez pitched well but struggled due to various errors on the defensive side of the ball. Chavez eventually was replaced after receiving an injury in an attempt to trap Ridge in a pickle and record the final out of an inning. Chavez was replaced by Tommy Hyland, who gave up only 1 run and limited the effects of the Ridge offense. The final pitcher for Westfield was Pat Lanza. Lanza continued a season-long trend, giving up no new runs to Ridge and closing out the game in an impressive final outing.
A Westfield team that at various times struggled with injuries and changes remained somewhat consistent throughout the course of the year. They proved a challenge to powerhouse Cranford in the teams’ first matchup and offensively dominated many of their opponents. Though the season has come to a close, Westfield never wavered in its competitiveness, and the program should be optimistic in what hopes to be a promising future.
“I thought we had some really bright moments this season, with our six-game winning streak, but we also had some rough patches as well,” said Cook. “We went to the semifinals of the county tournament and the quarterfinals of the state tournament as well. Obviously we would have liked to go a little bit further, but with a lot of guys coming back we’re pretty confident that we can continue to grow as a club and continue to work from there.”
