Westfield Baseball Beats Scotch Plains 13-8

Westfield spotted arch rival Scotch Plains-Fanwood four runs, then scored the next eight before hanging on for a 13-8 Union County Conference-Watchung Division baseball triumph Thursday at Westfield. The Blue Devils have now scored 114 runs in 11 games for a robust 10.36 average.

THE RECORDS: Scotch Plains fell to 6-5 overall and 2-3 in the Watchung Division. Westfield improved to 10-2 overall with its fourth straight win and is now 4-2 during its first go-around in the Watchung Division. The Blue Devils have scored 11 or more runs in six of their 10 wins.

THE DIFFERENCE: Westfield’s vaunted lineup was too much for Scotch Plains pitchers Sean Reilly (2-2) and John Howarth. The Blue Devils banged out 16 hits, had at least one in all six at-bats, at least two in five at-bats and all but one starter had at least one hit. Westfield starter Zach Archambault (2-0) went the distance for the first time, tossing a nine-hitter in a 116-pitch effort that included 39 in the seventh inning.

THE KEY PLAYERS: For Scotch Plains, sophomore first baseman James D’Angelo slugged his second home run of the season over the left field fence leading off the sixth and went 2-for-3 with two RBI, a walk and he reached on an outfield error, reaching base all four times up. Senior right fielder Ryan Haggerty was 2-for-3 with a single, a double and a walk. Junior designated hitter and lefty batter Anthony Krajscik was 2-for-4, with a double and RBI-single. After the first two Scotch Plains batters were retired on the game’s first two pitches, the Raiders came back to score four runs in the top of the first, with Westfield starter Zach Archambault ultimately needing 23 pitches to finish the inning. Archambault then threw nine or less pitches in four of the next five innings before needing 39 to finish the seventh for his first complete game. For Westfield, senior catcher A.J. Murray went 3-for-4 and reached base all four times up, including an RBI-single in the first, reaching on an infield error in the third, on an infield hit in the fourth and slugging a two-run homer over the left field fence in the fifth inning for his fifth round-tripper of the year. Murray scored three runs and drove in three. Junior left fielder Matt Varakian was also 3-for-4 and also reached base all four times up. Varakian banged out a two-run single in the first, an RBI-single in the third that brought home Murray safe at the plate to tie the game at 4-4, he reached on an infield error in the fourth and singled in the sixth. Varakian drove in three runs and scored three times. Senior designated hitter Will Riggs produced the game-winning hit, which was an RBI-single to center in the third that put Westfield ahead to stay at 5-4. He finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run. Brett Ryan was also 3-for-4 with two singles, a double, two RBI and one run and James Barry was 2-for-4 with a single, a double, one RBI and one run. “Everyone in our lineup is hitting and our pitching has been great so far, with our starters going deep,” said Kerr, who along with Murray is batting over .500. “We started the season ripping the ball, came back down to earth a bit and now our last two games we’ve scored a lot of runs,” Murray said. Westfield defeated visiting Linden 11-3 on Wednesday.

BOTH TEAMS STRUGGLED DEFENSIVELYAT TIMES, BUT ALSO MADE SEVERAL FINE PLAYS IN THE FIELD: Scotch Plains committed four errors and two wild pitches, but did turn a 1-6-3 double play to end the first. Freshman second baseman Christian Zazzali showed great range at second base on more than one play, with his best defensive effort coming early in the bottom of the third when he stretched as far as he could to his left, snared a grounder off the bat of Westfield cleanup batter Dan Kerr, and got up and threw Kerr out at first base for the inning’s initial out.

Westfield made four errors and threw one wild pitch, but turned a 6-3 double play in the second and a 4-6-3 twin-killing to end the fifth. Westfield also threw out cleanup batter Ryan Haggerty at third base in the third inning on a fine 8-6-5 relay. Haggerty smacked a shot off the center field fence to the left of the 396 foot sign, but was unsuccessful in stretching his double into a triple after center fielder James O’Rourke threw to shortstop Tim Younger, who threw to third baseman Brett Ryan, who applied the tag.

THE QUOTES: “We battled back a bit, but defensively we’re a mess right now,” Scotch Plains head coach Tom Baylock said. “We have to figure out a way to get cleaned up (on defense). We’re making too many mistakes.”

“We hit the ball well, but we didn’t field it well,” Westfield head coach Bob Brewster said. “Zach pitched well for us. We should have had two outs and nobody on in the seventh. We didn’t field the ball well in the final inning.”

UP NEXT FOR SCOTCH PLAINS: The Raiders are scheduled to host Johnson Saturday at noon and then Franklin Monday at 4 p.m. in their final two games before the Union County Tournament is seeded Monday night.

UP NEXT FOR WESTFIELD: The Blue Devils are scheduled to host Hudson County foe Union City Saturday morning at 11, with a ceremony to take place at 10:30 a.m. where the baseball field will be officially named after Bob Brewster Sr., Coach Brewster’s father who passed away last April. Westfield is then scheduled to host Ridge Monday at 4 p.m. in its final game before the UCT is seeded later in the evening.

UNION COUNTY CONFERENCE-WATCHUNG DIVISION

BASEBALL GAME AT WESTFIELD:

SCOTCH PLAINS (6-5, 2-3)                   4   0   0     0   0   1     3 –   8    9   4

WESTFIELD (10-2, 4-2)                         3   0   4     1   3   2     x – 13  16   4

WINNING PITCHER:

Westfield senior right hander Zach Archambault (2-0).

LOSING PITCHER:

Scotch Plains senior left hander Sean Reilly (2-2).

DOUBLES: Scotch Plains – Anthony Krajscik, Ryan Haggerty. Westfield – Tim Younger, Steve Forgash, Brett Ryan, James Barry.

TRIPLES: Scotch Plains – None. Westfield – None.

HOME RUNS: Scotch Plains - James D’Angelo. Westfield: A.J. Murray.