WESTFIELD – Many critics may have written off the Westfield High School baseball team when it lost its ace pitcher Nate Barnes to injury late in the regular season. But the defending champs know how to win.
No. 7 Westfield upset the Western Massachusetts’ Division I tournament’s second seed, East Longmeadow, 4-3, in the quarterfinals Tuesday at the Spartans’ home field.
Westfield’s Matt Irzyk (8 Ks, 2 BBs) delivered a solid game on the mound, benefiting from an early 4-0 lead, and the Bombers (13-9) held off East Longmeadow to earn a trip to Thursday’s semifinals against No. 3 Amherst (15-6) at Westfield State University. First pitch is at 4 p.m.
“Matt’s curveball was on fire, his changeup was working, and that made his fastball even better,” Westfield coach Rich Discenza said.
Irzyk lasted 6 1-3 innings with a pitch count well over 90. Brent Houle earned the save, getting a boost by Kyle Murphy who gunned down a runner at the plate in the seventh.
Westfield jumped on top of East Longmeadow 3-0 in the top of the first inning. The Bombers tacked on what proved to be the insurance run in the second.
“Obviously you want to be in front,” coach Discenza said of his team’s early lead. “It’s tough to play them from behind.”
East Longmeadow (17-4) scored one in the fourth and two in the fifth, but could not rally for more.
