WESTFIELD – The Westfield High School baseball team finally met its match.
No. 3 hitter Drew DeMartino hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the fifth inning, senior pitcher Jake Flynn kept Westfield off balance, and the fifth-seeded Taconic Braves stunned the top-seeded Bombers 9-3 in a West Division 1 baseball semifinal Thursday at Westfield State University.
It was the second time this season that Taconic (21-1) defeated Westfield. The Bombers fell to the Braves 3-1 May 18.
“Taconic is a great ball club,” Westfield coach Mike Kennedy said. “They can hit, pitch, field, and they’re well-coached.”
Westfield first baseman Sean Moorhouse makes the stretch to get the Taconic runner at the first base bag during a West Division 1 baseball semifinal Thursday at Westfield State University. (Photo by Bill Deren)
Taconic’s sharp infield defense kept Westfield from building an insurmountable lead early.
Mason St. Pierre reached on a one-out base hit in the bottom of the first inning. Sean Moorhouse drilled a bullet that Taconic second baseman Izaiya Mestre robbed by knocking it down and firing to second base for the second out of the inning. After Austin St. Pierre singled to right field, Anthony Clark sent a ball screaming to the right side. Another diving stab, this one from Braves’ first baseman Devon Walker deflected the ball toward the edge of the infield grass. Walker picked it up and fired it to the pitcher, Jake Flynn, at second base for the out.
Westfield (15-7) hit consecutive singles to begin the second inning, but a pop-up on a failed bunt attempt and a double play on a sharp hit ball to the pitcher that resulted in another out at first left runners stranded at first and second.
“Unfortunately stranding base runners has been our biggest problem all season,” coach Kennedy said. “We just haven’t been executing small ball.”
Westfield mounted an effective inning of offense in the third.
Aidan Dunn and Mason St. Pierre walked to begin the third inning. Dunn advanced to third on a dropped third strike. Austin St. Pierre followed with a sac-fly RBI to left field for the game’s first run. Anthony Clark scored St. Pierre with a double to deep center field before being gunned down at third base trying to stretch out the extra base hit.
Taconic threatened again in the fourth. Brett Murphy doubled to deep left field with one out and Devon Walker drew a two-out walk, but Westfield pitcher Ryan Towle came back to force a ground out to keep the Braves scoreless.
Taconic battled back in a big way.
Jack Cooney and Jake McNeice opened the top of the fifth with consecutive walks. DeMartino followed with a 340-foot, 3-run home run to left field for a 3-2 lead. A Cedric Rose single off Westfield reliever Dalen Mochak, two wild pitches, a Ryan Abel run-scoring single, and a sac-fly RBI from Izaiya Mestre made it 5-2.
Things unraveled for Westfield in the top of the seventh.
With one out, Taconic loaded the bases on an error, walk, and single. A successful bases-loaded suicide squeeze from Devon Walker and a wild pitch gave the Braves a 7-2 advantage. A run-scoring error, and a sac-RBI made it 9-2.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” Kennedy said. “We have a great group of young men. I wish them the best.”
