Connor Coleman and Cole Ozretich combined to shut down R.A. Long on Tuesday, leading W.F. West to a 3-0 victory in a district quarterfinal.
Coleman started the game on the hill and gave up just two hits over five and two-third innings of work, and Ozretich finished it off by retiring all four batters he faced.
“Connor was outstanding,” W.F. West coach Jesse Elam said. “And Cole came in and did what he always does. Just hoping to keep that rolling.”
After stranding three runners on base in the first two innings, the Bearcats got on the board in the third thanks to an RBI single from Ross Kelley.
W.F. West (17-5) had the opportunity to break the game open in the fourth and fifth inning, but the Bearcats led the bases loaded in both innings.
They finally got the insurance they were looking for in the bottom of the sixth, when Braden Jones ripped an RBI triple to right and Miles Martin brought him home in the next at-bat with an RBI single.
“We couldn’t scratch one.” Elam said. “It was just big to get those runs.”
While the Bearcats only scored three runs, Elam was pleased with the team’s approach and consistency at the plate. They did, after all, collect 12 hits on the day.
“Today, we really kind of turned the corner,” Elam said. “I like the way that we’re swinging it right now.”
The Bearcats are now one win away from a seventh consecutive trip to the state tournament. They’ll take on Ridgefield at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
