BLYTHEWOOD (March 23, 2016) – The Westwood Redhawks hosted region opponent Lugoff-Elgin Tuesday night, but the Redhawks’ bats failed to make an appearance as they were handed a 7-0 loss. Westwood was haunted by strikeouts, getting rung up eight times on the night.
“That’s been our problem the last three weeks, strikeouts,” Westwood head coach Jonathan Burroughs said. “We didn’t hit the ball. You strike out too many times, you’re not going to win period.”
Lugoff got on the scoreboard in the top of the first, and did not look back. Demons outfielder Chase Roberts drove home the game’s first run with a two-out RBI single.
Branden May, the Redhawks’ starter, struggled to find his footing. In just two and a third innings pitched May gave up seven hits with three wild pitches, and five runs.
Deontae Hudson kicked off the top of the second with a lead-off triple for the Demons, and went on to score on a wild pitch. After another base hit and error, Lugoff capitalized and pushed their lead to 3-0 with a sac-fly.
The Redhawks struck out to begin their half of the second, their third K to that point. T.J. White reached base on a walk to become the Redhawks’ first baserunner of the night, but two straight fly-ball outs ended the inning.
The third opened with another lead-off hit for Lugoff, which paved the way for junior catcher Chase Galloway to smash a two-run homer.
It would be Paxton Boozer who would come through with Westwood’s first hit in the bottom of the third, and the Redhawks would only muster two more hits the rest of the game.
Westwood struggled mightily with sophomore pitcher Zack Branham. Branham was dealing all night and pitched five strong, giving up only one hit while punching out eight.
Both sides went down in order in the fourth inning, while in the fifth they combined for four strikeouts.
J.C. Legrande broke the drought for the Demons in the sixth. He would come in to score after a double and a wild pitch.
The Redhawks still could not seem to find the timely hits, and went down in order again in the sixth.
Lugoff sealed up their win in the seventh inning. Junior pinch-hitter John Bradley knocked in the Demons’ seventh run of the night with an RBI double.
Rashawn Green belted a lead-off single for Westwood, but the Lugoff pitching again was overpowering, and they sat down the next three batters in a row with a fielder’s choice, ground out and fly-out.
LE:1-2-2-0-0-1-1
W:0-0-0-0-0-0
Pitching: W: Branden May (L), 2.1IP, 7H, 5R, 4ER, 1BB, 1K, 3 WP; Zane Badmaev, 2IP, 4H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 3K; Ethan Barton, 1.2IP, 2H, 2R, 1ER, 1BB, 1K, 1WP. LE: Zack Branham (W), 5IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 8K, 1WP; Hunter Coleman, 2IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 1K.
Hitting- HR- Chase Galloway (LE). 3B- Deontae Hudson (LE). 2B- Brock Robinson, B. Clarke, J. Bradley (LE). RBI- C. Galloway (2), J. Legrande, C. Roberts, J. Bradley (LE).
LOB: WW-3, LE- 7.