Westfield pitcher Ari Schwartz, right, celebrates with catcher Zach Jarvis in the World Series. (Kipp Robertson/The North Kitsap Herald)
KITSAP COUNTY, WASH. – It took Westfield more than 58 hours to record its first hit of the Babe Ruth Baseball 13-Year-Old World Series. But it was well worth the wait.
Westfield scored six runs in the first two innings and held off a late rally to defeat Kitsap 8-6 last night to keep its championship hopes alive.
Ari Schwartz punched a line drive single through the left side in the first inning against Kitsap County for the team’s first hit of the Series – Westfield (1-1) was no-hit in the opener Wednesday morning – and took advantage of the host team’s ineffective pitching early.
Sean Moorhouse, Scott Walsh, and Anthony Clark followed Schwartz with consecutive walks in the bottom of the first, the third forcing in the tying run. Sean Murphy then put the ball in play to drive in the go-ahead run. An error on the throw allowed a second run to score.
Westfield continued to swing the bats effectively in the second.
With two outs, Austin St. Pierre manufactured the team’s fourth run – hitting a single, stealing second base, advancing to third on an error, and scoring on a passed ball. Schwartz singled and stole second, Moorhouse collected a base hit to knock pitcher Mel Crowley from the game, and Walsh blasted a two-run double to deep left field for a 6-1 lead.
Kitsap (0-3) recouped a run in each of the third (sac-fly), fourth (fielder’s choice), fifth (Crowley RBI single), and sixth innings (outfield error, RBI single).
Westfield countered in the fourth (Clark RBI double) and fifth (Schwartz squeeze play). Clark’s extra base hit scored Moorhouse, who was hit by a pitch and stole second. Schwartz plated St. Pierre, who reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second, and moved to third on a wild pitch.
Westfield pitcher Sean Moorhouse delivers a pitch in the World Series. (Kipp Robertson/The North Kitsap Herald)
Moorhouse, who earned the win on the mound for Westfield and scored three runs, earned the MVP award. Schwartz earned a save, retiring the side with a ground out and two strikeouts.
Kitsap scored an unearned run in the first as two of the first three baserunners reached against Westfield’s pitcher, Moorhouse, on infield errors. A two-out sac-fly scored the team’s initial run.
On defense, Westfield turned two double plays, including one in which second baseman Matt Hastings snared a hard-hit by with the tip of his glove and doubled off the baserunner in the second inning.
Westfield returns to the field today against the Southwest Champion and tomorrow against the Pacific Northwest representative. Both games begin at 1 Pacific Coast Time, 4 EST.
