Base: 4A #13 Westfield returns the favor with 11-3 win at 4A #4 HSE

A day after getting drilled, 12-3, on its home field by county rival Class 4A fourth-ranked Hamilton Southeastern, 4A No. 13 Westfield returned the favor in a big way May 8 with an 11-3 Hoosier Crossroads Conference baseball payback at HSE.

The Shamrocks broke open a tight 4-2 game in the top of the seventh inning, plating seven runs to gain its vengeance just a few hours after Southeastern had scored that many over the first two innings of its win in the two-game series opener. Four players collected two hits apiece to pace the win for Westfield (14-4 overall and 8-4 in HCC play), which sent 11 batters to the plate in the decisive seventh.

Pitcher Matt Hammel went 2 for 5 with three runs batted in, while catcher Jack Houtman was 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Left fielder Andrew McCafferty was a perfect 2 for 2 with three runs scored, and center fielder Wade Burton finished 2 for 3 as Westfield pounded out 10 hits, nine of them singles. 

Hammel went the distance in getting the victory, striking out an even dozen while allowing three earned runs on six hits and walking just one.

The day after exploding for 15 hits, HSE (15-4, 9-3) managed a more pedestrian eight against Hammel. Senior center fielder Rob Stein (a team-leading .529 batting average with a team-high five homers and only eight strikeouts) was the Royals’ bright spot, going 2 for 2 with the game’s only home run. 

Senior shortstop Zach Starr (.420 batting average, a team-high 35 RBIs) was the other HSE batter to get multiple hits with a single and a double in four at-bats. Senior Jacob Kowal took the loss for HSE, allowing seven runs (six earned) on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings with six strikeouts and one base on balls.

Next up for Westfield is a May 10 home game versus 3A Western before home-and-away conference clashes with McCutcheon May 12-13. HSE, meanwhile, will battle Noblesville at home May 11 and away May 13.