Westchester burns Brush for 15-0 win
Michael Lindsay | HPE
HIGH POINT -
The Westchester Country Day baseball team didn't really know what to expect from Brush High from Ohio. So, instead of worrying about it, it just went out and played.
The Wildcats scored at least twice in every inning - and exploded for nine runs in the fourth - while pitcher Troy Polen allowed just one hit as they defeated the Arcs 15-0 in five innings Wednesday at Westchester.
"We performed very well," Westchester coach Mickey Williard said. "We were better than our competition today, so we try not to look at the score in games like this. But, if you look at the chart, I think we were 100 percent in situational hitting. And last time we talked, that was something we needed to work on.
"We worked on it, and today we had a bunch of hits in those situations. That's what we've been trying to preach: If you do your job, execute what you need to do, then good things are going to happen. That's what we're looking for. And when Troy throws the ball like that, it's going to be tough for anybody to touch him. That was phenomenal."
Polen also went 2 for 2 with a double and three RBIs at the plate to help lead the Wildcats (6-2), No. 1 among state 2A private school teams, while Aubrey Smith went 2 for 3 with a double a two RBIs.
Devin Lumley also went 2 for 3 with a double, while Tyrese Hearst and Gavin Tippett each had a hit and two RBIs. Polen improved to 2-2 on the mound, striking out 10 and walking none while facing the minimum batters.
"We honestly had no idea about this team - Brush High School from Ohio," said Polen, a senior lefty. "We really didn't know what we were up against. So, we just came with the same mentality of: Play like we know how to. We can play with anybody, and I think we've proven that throughout the year.
"It can vary," he said of whether facing an unknown team helps, "because sometimes we like to know who's pitching. But it also benefits us that we don't know, so we don't think about it as much. It was a good idea today to just come out and do what we worked on in practice, which was situational hitting and I think we were 100 percent."
Westchester, in the middle of spring break this week, scored twice in each of the first, second and third innings, in which it had a couple key hits to capitalize on several miscues by Brush, to lead 6-0.
Then, in the fourth, the Wildcats strung together six hits, including three doubles, to start off and totaled eight hits for the inning. Polen and Smith each had two RBIs to highlight the inning.
"We squared the ball up in the fourth," said Williard, who is in his first season as head coach. "Before that, we took every opportunity they gave us and capitalized. There's a positive in that. But we hadn't really crushed the ball up until that point. The fourth inning was loud, and I like loud innings."
After finishing spring break, Westchester, which has won the last three NCISAA 2A state championships, returns to action Monday at home against Calvary Baptist at 5 p.m.
Michael Lindsay | HPE
HIGH POINT -
The Westchester Country Day baseball team didn't really know what to expect from Brush High from Ohio. So, instead of worrying about it, it just went out and played.
The Wildcats scored at least twice in every inning - and exploded for nine runs in the fourth - while pitcher Troy Polen allowed just one hit as they defeated the Arcs 15-0 in five innings Wednesday at Westchester.
"We performed very well," Westchester coach Mickey Williard said. "We were better than our competition today, so we try not to look at the score in games like this. But, if you look at the chart, I think we were 100 percent in situational hitting. And last time we talked, that was something we needed to work on.
"We worked on it, and today we had a bunch of hits in those situations. That's what we've been trying to preach: If you do your job, execute what you need to do, then good things are going to happen. That's what we're looking for. And when Troy throws the ball like that, it's going to be tough for anybody to touch him. That was phenomenal."
Polen also went 2 for 2 with a double and three RBIs at the plate to help lead the Wildcats (6-2), No. 1 among state 2A private school teams, while Aubrey Smith went 2 for 3 with a double a two RBIs.
Devin Lumley also went 2 for 3 with a double, while Tyrese Hearst and Gavin Tippett each had a hit and two RBIs. Polen improved to 2-2 on the mound, striking out 10 and walking none while facing the minimum batters.
"We honestly had no idea about this team - Brush High School from Ohio," said Polen, a senior lefty. "We really didn't know what we were up against. So, we just came with the same mentality of: Play like we know how to. We can play with anybody, and I think we've proven that throughout the year.
"It can vary," he said of whether facing an unknown team helps, "because sometimes we like to know who's pitching. But it also benefits us that we don't know, so we don't think about it as much. It was a good idea today to just come out and do what we worked on in practice, which was situational hitting and I think we were 100 percent."
Westchester, in the middle of spring break this week, scored twice in each of the first, second and third innings, in which it had a couple key hits to capitalize on several miscues by Brush, to lead 6-0.
Then, in the fourth, the Wildcats strung together six hits, including three doubles, to start off and totaled eight hits for the inning. Polen and Smith each had two RBIs to highlight the inning.
"We squared the ball up in the fourth," said Williard, who is in his first season as head coach. "Before that, we took every opportunity they gave us and capitalized. There's a positive in that. But we hadn't really crushed the ball up until that point. The fourth inning was loud, and I like loud innings."
After finishing spring break, Westchester, which has won the last three NCISAA 2A state championships, returns to action Monday at home against Calvary Baptist at 5 p.m.
