By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Editor
Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area
Click the links above for all photos and videos from the Northern Region championship!!
Watching West Springfield celebrate its first Northern Region title since 1998, one would never know the significance of the win.
The Spartans calmly collected their individual medals. Then, senior Bryn Renner stepped forward to claim the team trophy — with none of the customary screaming, hopping companions in tow — and the team posed behind an unrolled championship banner, with several players smiling for the cameras.
“We didn’t want to dog pile or anything like that because we felt like that’s what we’ve worked hard for all year long,” said West Springfield senior Mike Kent, recipient of the tournament MVP, the L. Pat Laing Award. “All the practices, we go three hours a day, six days a week. This is what we’ve worked for, so, I don’t know, it just didn’t seem that exciting for us.”
And when sophomore Bubba Self stomped on second base for the final out, the only difference between his reaction and that of an average inning was a fist pump and a faster-than-usual jog back to a clapping dugout.
Still, the win was not worth any less.
West Springfield beat Lake Braddock, 11-1, at Madison on Saturday for its seventh regional title in school history — and its first since legendary coach Ron Tugwell retired in 2000.
“We need to keep focus, we shouldn’t keep our heads high on this,” said sophomore David Pyon, who went 2-for-3 with 3 RBI. “We need to stay hungry for the state — and other teams.”
Added junior third baseman Charlie Morgan, a first-team All-Region selection at DH: “It’s great to win this one, but the next one is the big one. That’s the important one. That’s the one we want to knock out.”
And the Spartans wasted no time knocking out the Bruins.
West Springfield scored four runs on two hits and three bases on balls in the first inning, including a three-run home run by first-team All-Region catcher Tucker Tobin.
The early outburst was much like its 5-1 win at Lake Braddock on March 24. In that game, the first seven Spartans recorded base hits, as part of a five-run first inning.
That night, junior ace Bobby Wahl hurled a complete game, striking out 13 Bruins, while walking one.
“It feels great to get spotted 11 runs. It’s the best feeling, especially against Braddock,” said Kent, the Northern Region Pitcher of the Year. “They’re a great team. They’re well-coached, they hit well, they bunt well, they do everything well. We needed those runs.
“I’m glad our offense stepped up today and got the job done for us. They really carried us today.”
Added Pyon, on his club’s repeated success against its district rival: “We come out with intensity and jump on the first pitch, play smart baseball.”
The only Lake Braddock threat came in the top of sixth inning, with West Springfield ahead, 6-0.
The first two Bruin hitters, junior Ryan Lindemuth and sophomore Kenny Towns, each drew walks and junior Bobby Klein came to the plate with two on and none out.
He hit a cue shot towards Morgan at third base that was scooped as it landed on the infield. The two base runners stayed on their bases — thinking the ball was caught on the fly — as Morgan checked the runners and ran to third base, forcing out the lead runner.
With Lindemuth still stationed at second, Morgan threw to the bag for the second force out. Klein ran out the hit and — after a pair of subsequent rundowns and overthrows — Lindemuth, who was unknowingly retired, crossed the plate and Towns, also retired, moved up to second.
The six umpires called time and held a conference near the mound before ruling it a groundball and both Lindemuth and Towns out on a 5-4 double play.
“I knew I got it on the short-hop. I knew I didn’t catch it in the air,” Morgan said. “I knew it was [a groundball], but I didn’t know what they were going to rule it, though. I was just being cautious and trying to help out Mike, get some outs for him.
“I looked over and saw no one coming to third, so I just came over and tried to step on third to get an out. And no one was running again, so I threw to second. I was just trying to get outs for my team — and Mike.”
**Click here for Central Region championship results!**
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
Lake Braddock (17-6) 000 001 0 — 1 5 1
West Springfield (22-4) 410 105 X — 11 8 1
Pitchers:
LB – Gramsch (L) – .2 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 0 K, 2 BB
LB – Towns – .2 IP, 0 H, ER, K, 4 BB
LB – Lindemuth – 3.2 IP, H, 0 ER, 6 K, 3 BB
LB – No. 13 – .1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, K, 2 BB
LB – Bernoussi – .2 IP, H, 0 ER, K, 0 BB
WF – Kent (W) – CG, 5 H, ER, 7 K, 6 BB
Pitches – Strikes:
LB – Gramsch – 14-11; Towns – 28-12; Lindemuth – 61-35; No. 13 – 30-11; Bernoussi – 7-4.
WS – Kent – 107-66.
Groundouts – Flyouts:
LB – Gramsch – 2-0; Towns – 0-1; Lindemuth – 1-3; No. 13 – 0-0; Bernoussi – 0-1.
WS – Kent – 9-5.
Batters Faced – First-Pitch Strikes:
LB – Gramsch – 6-6; Towns – 6-3; Lindemuth – 15-11; No. 13 – 8-4; Bernoussi – 2-2.
WS – Kent – 30-21.
Notable Batters:
LB – Owens – 2-3, RBI, CS
LB – McLucas – 1-3
WS – Tobin – 2-4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 K, R
WS – Pyon – 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
WS – Wahl – 1-3, 2 RBI, BB, K, 2 R
WS – McMahon – 1-4, 2 RBI, 3 K
Runners Left on Base:
LB – 8
WS – 8
Time of Game:
2 hours, 30 minutes.
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