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West loses heartbreaker
Staff ReportsWest Caldwell had one of the three teams tied for first place in the CVAC on the ropes Thursday, but St. Stephens scored a run in the seventh to win 6-5. “It was a heartbreaker,” West coach Kevin Abee said. “It's just baseball. It's a tough one to swallow, but we've got to regroup.” West (8-14 overall, 5-12 CVAC) had pulled even at 5-5 in the top of the sixth when Jake Benfield cleared the bases with a double. And the Warriors had a runner at third with one out in the seventh, but the next two West batters struck out. The Indians (15-6, 13-4) took advantage. They loaded the bases with one out and Bradley Canipe hit a flare to shallow left to score the winning run. The game was another of missed opportunities for the Warriors, who left more than 10 runners on base, including seven through the first three innings. West took a 2-0 lead in the first when Gordy Hendrix, Travis Harrison and Benfield singled consecutively to produce a run. Then a sacrifice fly by Jeffrey Rousselle drove in another. But the Indians scored four runs in the bottom of the inning including two on an Andrew Benton home run. The Indians scored a run in the second on an RBI-single by Brian Litwin. West's Rousselle retired the Indians 1-2-3 in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to give the Warriors a chance. He struck out eight. West is still in the hunt for the CVAC's fourth 2-A playoff spot. The Warriors travel to Bunker Hill Monday.
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