10-run second inning propels Chaps over Akins in a offensive showcase towards a run rule victory, 19-3

Coming off a dominant performance April 13 against Akins High School, the baseball team was back at it again on Saturday afternoon, routing Akins again 19-3 in four and a half innings of play before the game was called due to a run rule.

There were clear skies, and the weather was prime for baseball at Westlake’s Woerner Field. Both teams were set for a District matchup of Class 6A IV District 26 baseball. Freshman Chance Covert started on the mound for the Chaps, while senior Quincy Welch got the start for Akins. The game started off with a clean defensive effort from the Chaparrals, getting three straight outs. On the offensive end, the scoring began early and often for Westlake, starting with a sacrifice fly out by third baseman senior Reece Macrae, whose run put Westlake on the board for an early 1-0 lead. After another quick inning for Chance Covert and the Chaps, the floodgates burst open in the bottom half of the frame.

In the bottom of the second, the Chaps rallied together some hits, and second baseman freshman Theo Gillen drove home two runs on a double to left field that put the Chaps on top 3-0. After a misthrown pitch hit sophomore Blake Peterson, senior Braden Davis followed the hot start-up with a base hit of his own, driving in another run. Once the scoring started, it didn’t stop. Westlake tallied a total of 10 runs in the second inning, capped off with a rocket off of the left field wall from senior Chapel Stewart that drove in a run, and a single from Blake Peterson that added two more runs to the scoreboard. After two innings, Westlake had a commanding 11-0 lead.

After a wild inning, the Chaps settled back down on defense, with Chance striking out two of the three batters he faced in the top of the third. On the offensive end, the bats stayed flaming hot, with senior Mike Lustina and sophomore Nathan Duvall driving in runs in the bottom half of the frame. The Chaps led 13-0 at the end of three innings. The top of the fourth looked awfully familiar for the Eagles, once again struggling to get on base. In the bottom of the fourth, the Westlake offense struck again, tallying up six more runs. 

“We had a really good week in practice and our team was ready and firing on all cylinders coming into the game,” Mike said. “It’s always nice to put a team away early and relieve some pressure. It allows us to stay loose and play without worrying about a mistake, and that gives us a huge advantage.”

The Chaps made a call to the bullpen in the fifth inning, bringing in senior John D. Hawkins to close out the game. Akins began to rally back, getting on the board with three runs, but it proved to be too little too late, and Westlake took home a dominant win. Chance Covert was the winning pitcher, striking out three batters in four innings, and only allowing one hit. But it was the Westlake offense that was the difference maker, scoring 19 runs on 15 hits in an impressive outing. Westlake snagged their 20th win of the season and now looks forward to the playoffs that are inching closer with each game.

“It feels great to get a huge team district win that brought us huge momentum towards our playoff push,” junior Ethen Sims, who had a two-run single in the fourth inning, said. “We played hard, had more energy and had fun, which is key towards a Saturday win.”