Murray and Kerr Team Up as WHS Baseball 3-4 Combo

In the 1920s and early 1930s the Yankees had Babe Ruth batting third and Lou Gehrig fourth.

In the 1960s and early 1970s the San Francisco Giants had Willie Mays batting third and Willie McCovey fourth.

In the decade that just passed the Boston Red Sox – even if they both took performance-enhancing stimulants – had Manny Ramirez batting third and David Ortiz fourth.

In baseball history, those 3-4 combinations are among the greatest of all time.

When all is said and done, Union County baseball fans may look back at a 3-4 combination with almost as much fondness.

That combination, from Westfield, right now is junior AJ Murray batting third and junior Dan Kerr fourth.

What a debut the duo had on Opening Day Thursday afternoon.

In a 17-2 win over host Union at Gordon R. LeMatty Field, as many as three different Union pitchers could not get Murray or Kerr out even once.

Murray, a right handed hitting batter, went 2-for-2 and reached base all five times up. He was hit by a pitch on the left foot on the game's third pitch in the top of the first, smacked a hard line-drive double down the left field line in the third, delivered the game-winning hit which was a two-run single to left with the bases loaded in the fourth and then scored his first run, was intentionally walked in the fifth and then walked with the bases loaded in the sixth for his third RBI and came around to score his second run.

Kerr's performance was even better. The lefty batting and righty throwing first baseman also reached base five times, going 4-for-4 with a walk, seven RBI, two runs and two stolen bases.

Kerr walked on a 3-1 count in the first and then drove in Westfield's first run of the game on an infield single to second that he beat out the throw on, pulling Westfield to within 2-1 in the third.

He connected on a two-run single to right and then stole second base for the second time in the fourth.

Kerr led off the sixth by hitting a bloop single to right and then scored. Little did he know that he would come up again in the same inning with the bases loaded and one out.

After already going 3-for-3 against Union's first two pitchers – both lefties – this time Kerr got hold of a sub-par fastball off Union's third pitcher – a right hander – and smoked it high and far over the right field fence for a grand slam.

That hit made produced the game's final four runs.

It was also his first varsity grand slam.

"I think I last hit one in fifth or sixth grade," said Kerr, who slugged three home runs last year when Westfield went 16-6 and reached the Unoin County Tournament championship game for the second straight season and third time in the last four years.

"I had to keep my weight back, we all had to," said Kerr, with his team banging out 15 hits. "After all of our scrimmages we looked really good today.

"We've been playing well on defense and our pitchers have been keeping the ball in the strike zone. Our offense is starting to smack the ball around a little bit, so that's good."

Westfield head coach Bob Brewster, who has been at the helm since 1983 and has seen his share of quality Blue Devil hitters, realizes he has a sensational 3-4 punch in the middle of his lineup.

"Those two guys are as good of hitters as there are around and, amazingly, they're only juniors," Brewster said.

When Westfield took the lead for good by scoring five runs in the top of the fourth after trailing 2-1 after three innings, it was the guys up before Murray and Kerr getting on base that started the game's biggest rally.

Mike Buontempo walked on four pitches and then Greg Fortino delived an opposite field single to right to put runners on first and second with none out. Brett Johnson then moved the runners over on a 5-3 sacrifice bunt.

Leadoff batter Tim Younger then hit a ground ball to the Union shortstop, with the ball hitting his glove and then going between his legs and past him into the outfield for an error. Buontempo scored to tie the game at 2-2, with Fortino moving to third and Younger at first.

Max Fusaro then walked on a 3-1 count to load the bases, with Murray coming to the plate.

"You get people on base and then with Murray and Kerr up, they're going to hurt you," Brewster said.

Well, that's exactly what Murray and Kerr did. Murray swung at a 3-2 pitch from Union sophomore left hander Devin Zimmerman and stroked a single past third and short into left field that brought home Fortino and Younger to give Westfield the lead for good at 4-2. Fusaro moved to third on the hit and then Murray to second when a throw from the outfield was sent home.

On a 3-1 pitch, Kerr followed with a two-run single to right that scored Fusaro and Murray to give Westfield a 6-2 advantage.

That hit knocked Zimmerman – who pitched quite well the first three innings – out of the game.

"The big play of the game was when we had two guys on and our guy hits the ground ball to shortstop and it goes off him," Brewster said. "That just opened the flood gates."

While the pitching Westfield will face down the road will be a bit more challenging, its 3-4 Murray-Kerr combination got off to a pretty good start.

After one game, both can say that they are presently batting 1.000 and both also have 1.000 on-base percentages.

NOTES: Westfield is scheduled to host non-conference, Morris County foe Morris Knolls of Denville Saturday at 11 a.m. in its home-opener at Edison Intermediate School on Rahway Avenue.

Westfield begins next week with another non-conference game, with the Blue Devils scheduled to play at Somerset County opponent Ridge at 4 p.m. in Basking Ridge.