18° and Clear
Image
Photo by Alison Gibbons. Westwood's Summer 11A baseball team defeated Barnstable in Sunday's Summer Blast Championship game to bring home the tournament title for the first time in over a decade.
7-28-2023 10:45pm
Westwood Summer Baseball 11A Team Wins Sandwich Summer Blast Tournament for First Time Since 2012 (Updated)
Darlene Cancell
Editor
On Sunday, July 23, 2023, members of Westwood’s Summer Baseball 11A team did something that had not been accomplished in over a decade. They won the Sandwich 11A Summer Blast Tournament for Westwood for the first time since 2012.
It was no easy feat, especially given that the single-elimination tournament included a number of games played on each day of four consecutive days. There were four games played on Sunday, including the championship game against Barnstable in which Westwood dominated, 12-2.
“I thought we’d have a pretty good chance in the first two games, but three games a day is hard, let alone four games,” said Coach Brendan Reeves, who described the experience at a point as “a blur.” But he hoped for the best.
The first three games on Sunday leading up to the championship were nail-biters in which Westwood prevailed by only one run, each time. It was Westwood’s pitching and defense that were the key, according to Coach Reeves.
The pitchers did so well, “We just rode the hot hand and left them in the game,” said Coach Reeves. Danny Barkely, Trent Levesque, and James Pallotta all pitched six of six innings in Games 1, 2, and 3 on Sunday. In the final and championship game, Tyler Phillips pitched five innings, and Drew Appel had a scoreless sixth inning, to put the 12-2 win in the books for Westwood.
Coach Reeves acknowledged a “stellar defense” led by center fielder Jack Shevory that included Danny Barkley as shortstop, Braden Briller as catcher and at third base, and Jackson Kelleher at second base.
The offense also did its job.
In Game 1 against Norwell, Tyler Phillips had a 2-run RBI single, bringing home Braden Briller and James Pallotta, giving Westwood the lead.
In Game 2 versus Falmouth, first baseman Simon Reeves drove home the game-winning run on an RBI single. The final score was 5-4.
In Game 3 against arch rival Milton National, Dennis Ash batted an RBI single at the top of the sixth inning to give Westwood a one-run lead, 7-6. Pitcher James Pallotta kept the tying and winning runs on base, cementing Westwood’s chance to compete in the championship game.
In the championship game against Barnstable, James Pallotta led the offense with four runs scored. Danny Barkley and Braden Briller had three hits and two runs scored each. Harrison Gibbons had two hits and a run scored. Trent Leveque sealed the win with a 2-run ground rule double in the sixth inning. Westwood pulled off the win, 12-2.
Of his performance in driving home the go-ahead run against rival Milton, that helped give Westwood a shot at the championship, center fielder Dennis Ash said, "I was happy to contribute to the success of the team." He continued, "I'm motivated because it is a short season and I love playing on this team with all my friends," he said.
On Westwood's win, Ash says, "It feels great. It was a lot of fun. The competition was very tough and we were all happy to represent Westwood."
Thanks to Brendan Reeves, Alison Gibbons, and Dennis Ash for their contributions to this article and Amanda Phillips for sharing this news with Westwood Minute. Like this? Keep an eye out for more!
Updated 8/27/2023 at 2:23 p.m.
