BLYTHEWOOD – Region 5-5A was very good for the Westwood baseball and softball programs last week.
The baseball team (6-4, 2-2), which blanked the Blazers 4-0 at their baseball field March 18, did so again in a 9-0 win Thursday at the Westwood field, one day after blanking Fairfield Central 11-0.
“Very good feeling,” head coach Nathan Caldwell said about the past week. “We started off hot, ran into Blythewood (two losses) and didn’t do some things that we’ve been doing in the preseason. “I told the guys to wipe the slate, let’s come back to the drawing board and let’s start doing the small things.”
Those small things were putting the ball into play, playing good defense, making good pitches. Those fundamentals worked out in the past week.
“Pitching was really great this weekend with Gabe Espinosa throwing a complete game (against the Blazers)Tuesday and Austin yesterday throwing five innings and Raeylyn Seaton, he went six innings today, you can’t ask for that, we didn’t give up any runs this week, and we put up 16 runs.”
Seaton pitched six innings, giving up four hits and striking out seven for the win against Ridge View. Christian Schumacher and Nathan Caldwell, Coach Caldwell’s son, both pitched the seventh in relief.
Westwood got on the scoreboard in the first inning with back-to-back one-out RBI singles from Gabriel Espinosa and Austin Jeffcoat. The Redhawks got two more runs in the second. On Zachary Nelson’s 1-out bunt single, Xavier DeJesus and Jayden Quarles both scored on an infield error to make it 4-0.
Westwood took a 6-0 lead in the fourth inning when Nathan Caldwell and Nelson scored on Seaton’s 2-out base hit to centerfield.
In Westwood’s 3-run sixth inning, Nelson scored for the third time on a passed ball. Jeffcoat’s sacrifice fly scored Caldwell, and Kellen Moore’s one-out double drove in Espinosa to make it 9-0.
Westwood fell 13-2 to non-region opponent Orangeburg-Wilkinson Monday, but will be fully rested to take on Columbia Saturday and plays host to Spring Valley Tuesday in a return to region competition.
For the season, Coach Caldwell adopted an idea from South Carolina State head football coach and former Benedict head coach Chennis Berry—strive to go 1-0 every day.
“After we went 0-2 against Blythewood, I told the team from here on out, we’re on a scratch to go 1-0, so that’s our theme now,” he said. “We’ve got a good team. We’ve got a lot of returning players, the thing now is we’re in a gantlet of baseball, 5A baseball. Our goal right now is every day—scratch, 1-0, and I think we’re going to be successful.”
Westwood Softball
The softball team (3-7, 2-2) followed up on a 13-2 win at Ridge View March 18 with an 11-0 shutout at home Thursday.
Those wins were much needed for a team that has six seniors but also has two juniors and eight sophomores, freshmen, seventh- and eighth-graders.
“We’re trying to figure out some things, we’ve lost some big seniors from last year,” Edmondson said, noting the absence of pitcher and player Makayla Drakeford. “Makaylah kept us in a lot of games. Our pitching this year is young, but we have several pitchers and we’ve got a new pitching coach in who’s working with them, trying to figure out their rhythm, hitting their spots.”
On Thursday sophomore Annarea Wilson got the win, pitching five innings and giving up five hits, walking two and striking out nine. Sophomore Jersey Brass went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs, while seventh-grader Ella Griffin stole two bases, doubled, and drove in two runs. Sophomore Nayanna Shannon doubled and stole four bases.
The Redhawks’ win over Ridge View offset a tough 11-6 loss to Andrew Jackson the day before. The Volunteers took a 6-0 lead and later led 11-2 before Westwood rallied late for four runs.
“We’re struggling but we’re playing some really good teams,” Edmondson said. “We’re trying to get better. The girls are hitting the ball, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
In the midst of region play, getting the young girls to play well may be a tall order, but Edmondson said he hopes the competition will shape the younger players into seasoned competitors.
“Ridge View is not the same Ridge View that I’ve known these last few years, they’ve got good coaches,” Edmondson said. “Just knowing West Florence from two years ago, we played them in the playoffs, their pitcher is next level, and she’s having a really good year this year as well. They’re good and Blythewood is really good. Lugoff-Elgin, you just never know. It’s a really tough region.”
The Redhawks fell 4-2 to Providence Athletic Club Tuesday night, giving up 3 runs in the top of the seventh inning. Ella Griffin went 3-for-3 with a double for Westwood. Pitcher Annarea Wilson lasted six innings and pitched four-hit ball for the Redhawks, giving up three runs—two earned—and striking out four.
Westwood plays a doubleheader at Saluda Saturday, and plays host to Spring Valley Tuesday.
Baseball
Westwood – 1-1-5-4-0 – 11, 9, 0
Fairfield Central – 0-0-0-0-0 – 0, 2, 0
WP: Austin Jeffcoat, 4IP, 2H, 3BB, 6K.
W – Austin Jeffcoat 2-3, 2B. Kellen Moore 2-4. Xavier Johson 3B, 2RBI. Nathan Caldwell 3B.
Ridge View – 0-0-0-0-0-0-0 – 0, 4, 1
Westwood – 2-2-0-2-0-3-X – 9, 8, 1
WP: Raelyn Seaton, 6IP, 4H, 2BB, 7K.
R – Jacob O’Neal 3-4. W – Zachary Nelson 2-3, 2B. Kellen Moore 2-4, 2B, 3B. Austin Jeffcoat 2 RBI. Raelyn Seaton 2 RBI.
O-W – 3-2-0-0-3-5 – 13, 5, 0
Westwood – 0-2-0-0-0-0 – 2, 7, 2
WP: Aaron Ulmer, 5 IP, 7H, 2R, 2ER, 3BB, 1K.
O – Jordan Hill 2-4, 2 RBI. Donovan Hughes HR, 2 RBI. Xavier Glover 2 RBI. W – Kellen Moore 2-2, 3B. Blaize Owen 2-2.
Softball
Andrew Jackson – 1-2-3-0-3-2-0 – 11, 11, 5
Westwood – 0-0-0-2-0-3-1 – 6, 8, 3
W – Margueritte Ridgeway 2-4.
Ridge View – 0-0-0-0-0 – 0, 5, 5
Westwood – 3-1-2-5-X – 11, 6, 1
WP: Annarea Wilson, 5 IP, 2BB, 9K.
W –Jersey Brass 2-3, 3 RBI. Ella Grifin 2B, 2 RBI, SB (2). Nayanna Shannon 2B, SB (4).
PAC – 0-0-0-0-1-0-3 – 4, 5, 1
Westwood – 0-0-2-0-0-0-0 – 2, 5, 3
WP: Kaylin Otey, 7 IP, 5H, 2R, 1ER, 3BB, 9K.
P – Abigail Gibbs 2-4. Ava Lastinger 2-3, 2B. W – Ella Griffin 3-3, 2B.
