Westfield Post 124’s Nick Clegg crosses home plate for the first run of Wednesday’s game at Ludlow. (Photo by Chris Putz)
LUDLOW – Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas was known as the “Big Hurt”. On Wednesday, the entire Westfield Post 124 baseball team earned that moniker as they outslugged Ludlow on the road to go over .500 for the first time this season.
Westfield collected five extra bases en route to pounding Ludlow 12-4 in an American Legion Baseball game Wednesday night at Whitney Park.
“We’re swinging the bats well right now,” said Westfield manager Don Irzyk, whose team wasted a 16-hit outing in their season opener, an 11-7 loss to Post Francis.
Westfield (2-1) came out of the gate strong Wednesday, and never let up.
Nick Clegg led off the top of the first with a walk. Colin Blake drew a base on balls. With one out, Stefan Krol smacked a run-scoring line drive single up the middle.
In the second inning, Jack Blake belted a double, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Jared Iglesias’s in-the-park home run. Iglesias mashed the ball to right-center field and wheeled all the way around to home plate on the well-hit pitch. Colin Blake tacked on a one-out, one-run single to make it 4-0.
Westfield continued the offensive onslaught.
Westfield Post 124 starting pitcher Matthew Hastings winds up for a pitch against Ludlow in American Legion Baseball action Wednesday. (Photo by Chris Putz)
In the third, Zach Jarvis led off with a single, and advanced on a wild pitch. Iglesias drew a one-out walk. Brett Turban followed with an RBI single to left field. Clegg walked for the second straight time. Then Burns drove in a run on a fielder’s choice.
Westfield tacked on two more runs in the fourth. Anthony Riga was hit by a pitch, and advanced on a wild pitch. With one out, Jack Blake launched his second double of the game for a 7-0 advantage. Iglesias hit an RBI single to go up 8-0.
Westfield brought in some new faces but got similar results.
John Daley and Steve McKenna, Jr., came off the bench to collect consecutive base hits. Daley hit a booming triple, and McKenna knocked him in. Jarvis two-out RBI double made it 10-0.
Ludlow’s Andrew Roman, who starred for Pathfinder this season, erased their goose egg in the sixth with an RBI double. Roman scored on a sac-RBI. Justin Debarge also knocked in a run to climb within 10-3.
Westfield recouped two of those runs in the seventh. Riga and Devin Baker reached on a single and double, respectively, with two outs. Jack Blake knocked them both in with a base hit.
Westfield attempts to tag out Ludlow at a close play at the plate. (Photo by Chris Putz)
Westfield starting pitcher Matthew Hastings retired 14 of the first 18 batters he faced, and did not get into trouble until the sixth when Roman doubled home a runner, who reached on an infield error.
Hastings allowed just four hits, three runs (all unearned), struck out four batters, and walked one.
Brett Turban closed out the seventh for Post 124. He allowed two hits, one run, had one strikeout and one walk.
It was the second straight win for Westfield, which entered Wednesday’s game fresh off a narrow 1-0 win over South Hadley, a game which saw Krol toss a two-hitter to go along with eight Ks.
Westfield continues its road trip with games at East Longmeadow on Friday and at Wilbraham on Saturday.
