The Benedictine Baseball team secured a victorious start to their conference play with a doubleheader win against Westcliff on Friday, clinching wins of 9-8 and 10-4.
In the opening game, Westcliff took an early lead with a run in the first inning. However, BenU quickly responded, as
Preston Vine-Close scored on a sacrifice bunt by
Carlos Parra. Despite Westcliff scoring two runs in the second inning, Benedictine closed the gap in the 2nd with a run by
Jacob Bauler off
Ethan Graham's double. The Redhawks dominated the 3rd inning, with
Dylan Bangs and
Carlos Parra scoring on a single by
Alec Larson, followed by Ivan Santos scoring on
Jacob Bauler's double. Westcliff managed to tie the game with two runs in the 4th, but the Redhawks reclaimed the lead in the 4th inning, ultimately securing a 9-8 victory with key plays from Miranda, Vine-Close, and Bangs.
In the second game, Westcliff again took the lead in the first inning. However, the Redhawks quickly responded in the bottom of the 1st, with
Dylan Bangs grounding out to allow
Preston Vine-Close to score. Benedictine extended their lead in the 2nd inning with
Jacob Bauler scoring on a balk, and
Cameron Jowaiszas scoring on an error. Despite Westcliff scoring two runs in the 3rd inning, the Redhawks maintained control, adding more runs in subsequent innings. Key contributors included Jowaiszas, Santos, Parra, Bangs, and Miranda. The game concluded with a 10-4 victory for Benedictine.
Noteworthy performances from key players included
Preston Vine-Close's standout first game, recording 3 runs, 1 hit (a triple), and adding 1 run, 1 hit, and 1 stolen base in the second game.
Anthony Sortino showcased his skills with 2 runs and 1 stolen base in the first game, followed by 1 run and 1 stolen base in the second.
Carlos Parra delivered a solid first game with 1 hit, 1 run, and 1 RBI, followed by an impressive second game with 2 runs, 2 hits, and 2 RBIs.
Cameron Jowaiszas made a significant impact in the second game, contributing 2 runs and 3 hits.
Looking ahead, the Redhawks are set to continue their series against Westcliff on Saturday, February 24th, with the final game scheduled for 3 PM at Gene Autry.
