High school baseball: Westlake’s bats wake up to advance to 6A second round

Even though it wasn’t their best game of the season, Westlake was able to grind their way to a Game 2 and series-clinching victory by defeating Roy 6-4.

Westlake looked to be getting off to an impressive start to the game, wasting no time in securing an early lead with a run in the bottom of the 1st inning. Boston Drakulich kicked off the inning with a double, followed by Drew Smith, who brought Drakulich home with a double of his own, delivering a line drive down the third baseline.

The second inning showcased Westlake’s pitching prowess as Mason Hartle struck out the Roy batters in order. However, Hartle encountered some difficulty in the following inning, allowing multiple runners to reach base. This ultimately led to a sacrifice fly by the visitors, resulting in a tie game at one run each.

In the bottom of the second inning, Westlake loaded the bases but fell short of bringing any runners across home plate. Hartle’s time on the mound was limited to three innings, during which he struck out a total of four batters throughout the game.

Luke Culley stepped in as Hartle’s replacement, but his stint on the mound was brief. The opposing team wasted no time in the top of the fourth inning, securing three runs and taking a 4-2 advantage. Unable to weather the storm, Culley was quickly substituted for Landyn Fullmer.

Following this turn of events, Westlake’s bats finally came alive, as they managed to score in every subsequent inning. They struck twice in the bottom of the fourth, once in the fifth, and twice in the sixth, effectively turning the tide of the game in their favor.

“Our bats didn’t come out as hot as they usually do. We just kept telling the guys to keep sticking to their approaches. We had to play a little small ball, try to get some bunts when we needed it and the guys did well to execute that phase of the game,” said Westlake head coach Billy Schlee.

Fullmer, though struggling with his own performance at the plate, stepped up and delivered a solid relief performance on the mound when his team needed it most. His efforts contributed significantly to securing the series win and propelling Westlake to the next round of the 6A playoffs.

“Landyn was going to be our third game starter if we had to go one more game but we wanted to dump everything into this game and take a risk that our bats would come around. We brought him in early when we were a little but closer knowing that he has some really good stuff, throws the ball hard and has great command,” added Schlee.

Overall, it was an exhilarating game characterized by Westlake’s strong start, a few stumbling blocks on the pitching front, and a remarkable comeback driven by their persistent batting performance and Fullmer’s clutch relief pitching.