Westfield Blue Opens with a 6-0 Win Over Scotch Plains

Westfield Blue finally took the field tonight and won the first game of their season—and the first game of the Districts—with a combination of stellar pitching, strong defense and some big hits from Tyler Roth, Dan Criscuolo and Owen Brancatella.

Justin Lin took the mound to start the game and retired Scotch Plains without a hit or a run. The bottom of the first set the stage for a great season when lead-off hitter Roth stepped to the plate and promptly put Blue on the board with a solo homer over the left field fence.

For the next two innings, Lin pitched a strong game, allowing just two hits and no runs in three full innings of pitching. His teammates provided some great defense to keep Westfield in the lead, including a steller double play turned by Roth at short, J.D. Marner at 2nd base, and Rowan Oberman at 1st. Roth fielded the ball and tossed to Marner for the out at second; Marner swiftly gunned the ball to sure-handed Oberman at 1st for the double play. The third out of the inning came when another base runner took off for second, and catcher George Murray threw him out.

Roth took over the pitching duties in the top of the fourth. Scotch Plains threatened to get on the board in the inning after two batters reached base, but with one out, George threw out a runner trying to steal third, then caught a sky-high foul ball at the plate to shut them down.

Westfield was held to just one run until the bottom of the fourth despite walks and singles by Oberman and Steven Barmakian. But in the fourth, Owen Murray and George Murray reached on walks, and Criscuolo singled to bring in Owen, move George to 2nd, and put Westfield up by 2. Roth returned to the plate and doubled down the left field line to score both George and Criscuolo, putting Blue up 4-0.

Roth retired the Scotch Plains line-up quickly in the fifth and sixth. Westfield scored two more insurance runs in the bottom of the 5th when Owen Brancatella ripped a two-out, bases-loaded single up the middle to drive in the team’s final two runs of the game. Top of the sixth: Roth closes it out, no hits, no runs. Westfield wins its first, and celebrates J.D. Marner’s 12th birthday with some wonderful birthday cupcakes compliments of Gail Marner!

Other Game Notes: Right fielder Cameron Bremer chases down a hit that hugged the right field line and quickly hits the cut-off to steal a double from the Scotch Plains hitter. Left fielders Parker Hess and Criscuolo make diving catches to steal hits from Scotch Plains. Michael Jeffery and Owen Murray make a great plays at second and short, respectively, to end the game.

Westfield Blue returns to the field Sunday morning to face Mountainside in the second game of District play.

Game Recap by Audrey



Tyler starts off the season with HR into the trees at G2


Daniel drives home a speedy O.Murray


Tyler to JD to Rowan Double Play kills SP rally


George makes another great defensive play


OB picks up 2 RBI in the 5th


George guns down his 2nd runner of the game