Photo: Westbrook Christian’s Noah Wrigth applies a tag to Elkmont’s John Doner during the Warriors’ two-game sweep in the first round of the Class 3A state baseball playoffs on Thursday, April 18, in Rainbow City. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger)
By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor
Westbrook Christian made short work of Elkmont in the first round of the Class 3A state baseball playoffs on Thursday, April 18, posting a 7-2, 19-0 sweep in Rainbow City.
In game 1, the Warriors (18-9) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Brady Carden was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Jacob Maples scored on a passed ball.
The Red Devils (12-17) drew within 2-1 in the top of the second on Brock Ferguson’s RBI single, but Cameron Carden’s RBI double and Brodie Johnson’s run-scoring single in the fourth provided the hosts with a four-run cushion.
Noah Wright’s two-run double in the fifth made it 7-1 before Elkmont’s Jesse Hobbs homered in the sixth.
In five innings, winning pitcher Dylan Rainey allowed four hits, no earned runs and three walks while fanning eight. Bo Kilgo pitched two innings in relief with two hits, one earned run and two walks. He struck out two.
At the plate for Westbrook, Cameron Carden went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored, while Johnson went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Braden Kay’s pitching gem shut the door for the Warriors in Game 2. In five innings, Kay allowed one hit and one walk while striking out six. He retired 16 of the 17 Elkmont batters he faced, retiring the side in order in the first, fourth and fifth innings.
In the meantime, the Westbrook lineup battered the Red Devils pitching staff for 10 hits and 17 RBI.
Johnson and Will Chadwick each went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored; Blevins had a two-RBI triple and a run scored; Noah Wright had a hit, two RBI and two runs scored; and Maples had a hit, two RBI and a run scored.
“Dylan and Bo have really matured this year from a competitive standpoint,” said Westbrook head coach Jerry Windle. “Both guys competed when they didn’t have their best stuff today, and we made a few defensive plays behind them. Braden was unhittable in game 2. That was probably the best his stuff has been all year.”
Westbrook will travel to either J.B Pennington or Colbert County in a second-round series starting on Friday, April 26.
“We haven’t played either team, so we don’t know a whole lot about them,” said Windle. “I’ll wait and see who we get before I really start preparing. We’ll start between six or seven freshmen or sophomores every game, so we have a very young team. It was a big accomplishment for them just to win the area and put themselves in the position where they’re at right now. Once you get into the playoffs, anything can happen, and the goal is to survive and advance week to week.”