Blue Devil Baseball Advance to County Semi-Finals

When the 58th annual baseball Union County Tournament is over, we may be looking back on it and saying: “How was Westfield seeded only No. 3?”

Third-seeded Westfield, after being shut out in the first two innings, turned it on offensively the rest of the way en route to a decisive 12-2, five-inning win over sixth-seeded Johnson in a Thursday quarterfinal at Robert Brewster, Sr. Memorial Field. It was the 11th time in 17 games that the Blue Devils scored at least 10 runs and the seventh time in a row. It was also the seventh time Westfield has won by at least 10 runs, including their last five games. The Blue Devils have won by the 10-run rule seven times, including their last five games and both UCT victories so far. Westfield will next play second-seeded Gov. Livingston Saturday at 4:15 p.m. at Elizabeth’s Williams Field in the second semifinal. The Blue Devils reached the semis for the fourth straight season, while GL is there for the first time since 2007, which was the last year Westfield didn’t advance that far.

THE RECORDS: Westfield won its ninth straight to improve to 15-2, while Johnson lost for the second time in a row and is now 8-7. The last team to beat Westfield was GL 6-4 April 15 in Berkeley Heights in a Union County Conference-Watchung Division game. The teams are scheduled to meet one more time in league play May 12 at Westfield at 4 p.m.

THE DIFFERENCE: Westfield did not score in the first two innings against Johnson, trailing 2-0 going into the bottom of the third. However, the Blue Devils made Crusader senior lefty Anthony Fischetti work. Fischetti threw 44 pitches going into the third and after retiring leadoff batter Tim Younger on a deep fly ball to right – on another 3-2 count – he got into big-time trouble. Jim O’Rourke walked and then A.J. Murray singled to left. After a passed ball moved O’Rourke and Murray up, Dan Kerr then walked to load the bases. Another passed ball brought O’Rourke home with Westfield’s first run. Then Matt Varakian walked to load the bases again. That brought up No. 6 batter and designated hitter Will Riggs. The senior smacked a 1-0 fastball to the left-center gap to the left of the 416 sign, for a standup, three-run triple. It proved to be the game-winning hit, giving Westfield the lead for good at 4-2. “We knew he (Fischetti) was struggling and throwing the ball all over the place,” Riggs said. “I was sitting fastball and just waiting for a pitch I could hit. It felt good off the bat. I hit it on the sweet spot.” Brett Ryan also produced an RBI-single in the third to put Westfield ahead 5-2. In the fourth, Kerr drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to right, just missing a grand slam, and Matt Varakian followed with a two-run single to make it 8-2. After an RBI-double by Younger in the fifth, two batters later Murray ended the game with an opposite field three-run homer over the right field fence off relief pitcher Nick Campione. It was Murray’s team-leading seventh home run this season and 10th lifetime round-tripper, including two his sophomore year and one his junior season. Fischetti was just making his second start of the season because of an injury. “We knew he had arm troubles and wanted to make him throw and try to slow down his pace if we could,” Westfield head coach Bob Brewster said. “All our kids are swinging the bat well right now and they work hard at it in practice.”

MATT VARAKIAN AND WILL RIGGS EXTEND THE LINEUP: Two junior varsity players from a year ago who excelled in Senior American Legion last summer and are now making their presence felt in the lineup are junior right fielder Matt Varakian batting fifth and senior designated hitter Will Riggs sixth. Both came through with clutch, run-producing hits vs. Johnson, Griggs a three-run triple in the third and Varakian a two-run single in the fourth. “It feels great to bat in this lineup,” Griggs said. “From top to bottom, anyone can come up with a big hit.” “Hitting behind A.J. and Dan, I see a lot of good pitches,” Varakian said. “It’s really fun to be part of this lineup. We feel that if we have a chance to 10-run rule a team we will.” “If you’re going to be able to score runs like we’ve been doing, you have to have length in the lineup,” Brewster said. “Riggs had the big blow of the game today. I told him to look for a pitch he liked and he did, which was good to see. We try to get Younger and O’Rourke on for A.J. and Dan and then we have hitters like Matt fifth and Will sixth, who are also very tough to get out.”

SENIORS ARCHAMBAULT, YOUNGER COME THROUGH: Right hander Zach Archambault needed just 60 pitches to get through five innings to improve to 3-0. He yielded two earned runs on four hits, with Johnson senior first baseman Mark Wilson producing a two-run single off him in the first. Archambault struck out one and walked two. “He throws a lot of strikes, but does not get a lot of strikeouts,” Brewster said. “We’ve been playing good defense behind him.” Younger was the game’s only player with three hits, going 3-for-4, with two singles, an RBI-double, two runs and two stolen bases. The only time Westfield’s leadoff batter was retired was when he just missed an opposite field home run over the right field fence in the third. “Tim has been great, he’s playing so well for us,” Brewster said of his returning shortstop. “He’s the table setter, he and O’Rourke at the top of the order.”

THE QUOTES: “Everyone is confident at the plate,” said Murray of a team that is averaging 10.47 runs for the season (179 in 17 games) and 12.57 in its last seven (88). “We’ve had the same approach and it’s worked out. We just keep rolling.”

UP NEXT FOR WESTFIELD: For the Blue Devils it will be Saturday’s 4:15 p.m. UCT semifinal at Elizabeth’s Williams Field against GL, which should be a dandy. GL is 14-3 and Westfield 15-2. It will pit GL junior right hander Joey Graziano (3-1) - who gave a verbal commitment to St. John’s before the season began - against Westfield’s vaunted lineup. Graziano is the only starting pitcher to have a win against Westfield this year, beating the Blue Devils 6-4 at home on April 15. Graziano tossed a complete game that saw him limit Westfield to eight hits, with six of them being singles. Younger hit a solo home run and Riggs a double for Westfield’s only extra base hits. Graziano, who has other wins against Scotch Plains and Summit and a loss to Cranford, struck out eight, walked two, hit a batter and GL head coach Chris Roof said that two of the four runs he gave up were unearned. Brewster said that senior right hander Justin White (3-1) will start Saturday’s game for Westfield. White was the losing pitcher that day at GL.

UNION COUNTY TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL

AT ROBERT BREWSTER, S         R. MEMORIAL FIELD

6-JOHNSON (8-7)                      2   0   0     0   0 -   2    4    0

3-WESTFIELD (15-2)               0   0   5     3   4  - 12    9    0

WINNING PITCHER:

Westfield senior right hander Zach Archambault (3-0)

5 inning complete game, 60 pitches: 2 runs, both earned, 4 hits,

1 strikeout (looking), 2 walks (3-2, 3-0),

11 first-pitch strikes.

Pitch count: 1-19. 2-14. 3-7. 4-13. 5-7. Total: 60.

LOSING PITCHER:

Johnson senior left hander Anthony Fischetti (0-2)

3 and 1/3 innings, 100 pitches: 8 runs, all earned, 5 hits,

4 strikeouts (3 swinging, 1 looking), 7 walks (4 after full counts),

Recorded 7 first-pitch strikes the first time through the Westfield order

and 12 total.

Pitch count: 1-18. 2-26. 3-33. 4-23. Total: 100.

DOUBLES: Johnson – Corey Ryan. Westfield – Tim Younger.

TRIPLES: Johnson – None. Westfield – Will Riggs.

HOME RUNS: Johnson – None. Westfield – A.J. Murray.