Westfield pitcher Nate Barnes delivers a pitch off the mound yesterday at Longmeadow. (Photo by Chris Putz)
WESTFIELD – The defending Western Massachusetts Division I baseball champion Westfield Bombers met a chilly reception in their season opener on the road in Longmeadow yesterday. But they warmed up just enough to dispose of the Lancers 9-4.
Westfield pitcher Nate Barnes scattered two hits, recorded six strikeouts, and helped himself at the plate with a single, double, and three RBIs on a cold, windy afternoon.
“It was freezing,” Barnes said. “We came out cold – we felt it right away – but we adjusted to it. We came back strong.”
Jumping out to an early lead made braving the elements a bit easier for the Bombers.
Westfield’s Jake Toomey belted a one-out double down the third base line off Longmeadow pitcher Nick Kennedy for the team’s first hit in the top of the first inning. Rob Sullivan followed with a single, and the baserunners advanced on a double steal. Barnes drove in both runners with a base hit for a 2-0 lead.
Conner Perry cut the lead in half for Longmeadow, manufacturing his team’s first run with a lead-off walk, stolen base, move to third base on an Alex Strempel single, and run on a Shane Coughlin dribbler through the right side.
Westfield responded with two runs in the second (a Kyle Murphy RBI single, passed ball), one in the third (Murphy RBI single), one in the fourth (wild pitch), and one in the sixth when Toomey reached on a triple and scored on Sullivan’s sac-fly.
Longmeadow chipped back against Westfield reliever Karl Kober, scoring on Matt Stockley’s run-scoring hit and Strempel’s subsequent fielder’s choice.
Westfield tacked on two more runs – a Chris Riga RBI single in the sixth and Barnes’ RBI double in the seventh.
Putnam 5, Westfield Voc-Tech 3
Jake Parsons pitched 4 solid innings, and Colin Fecteau delivered three strong innings, but Voc-Tech fell to Putnam in its season opener. The Tigers outhit the Putnam Beavers 6-2.
SOFTBALL
Westfield Voc-Tech 18, Commerce 1
Megan Ilnicky tossed a one-hitter, striking out eight batters and walking none for Voc-Tech.
The Tigers drew an astounding 18 walks, Eliza Colson went 2-for-2 with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs in her first varsity game, and Amber Lindsay had a hit and 2 RBIs.
BOYS’ TENNIS
Westfield 3, Central 2
Luiz Briand won at first singles 6-0, 6-0, No. 3 Jacob Barbieri was victorious, and Jesse Burlingame and Aaron Caplette won at second doubles 6-4, 6-0.
