PREP SOFTBALL: Westview dominates LaVille to advance in 2A Sectional 35 play
May 25—TOPEKA — Westview came out focused and confident Tuesday night.
Those pregame feelings quickly translated onto the field against LaVille as the Warriors would go on to score nine runs in the bottom of the first to blow the game open early.
That effort carried into the rest of the game as senior Alexys Antal dominated in the circle to ensure an easy 11-0 victory in five innings over the Lancers to advance within Class 2A Sectional 35 play.
"It was great to see them come out like that, especially with the way we played last week," Westview head coach Jeremy Williams said. "We went up against Fairfield and just killed ourselves with error after error. Then we went up against a great Eastside team and really had them in the first inning, but we just kind of let the energy go out of us. That's what we focused on (Monday) was just energy, energy, energy. It was good to see the swagger and fight from them (Tuesday)."
After Antal struckout the side in the top of the first, the Warrior bats got to work during the bottom half of the inning.
With the bases loaded and one out, freshman Ella Williams found the hole through the right side of the infield to score both Antal and junior Bri Caldwell to break the scoreless tie. Later in the frame, junior Sara Lapp drove in a couple more with a single to right that plated both sophomore Hope Bortner and Ella Williams to bring the score to 4-0 at that point.
The scoring frenzy would continue two at-bats later due to some poor defensive play by the Lancers. Lapp would score on a throwing error by LaVille senior Abigail Goffinet before a separate error by sophomore Caitlyn Goffinet on a pop up by freshman Ava Williams allowed freshman Karlie Schrock to score the sixth run of the frame for Westview.
The last three runs came on an RBI groundout from senior Savana Strater, an RBI triple by Antal and another error by LaVille, which scored Antal from third base.
The scoring from the first inning would be plenty for Westview out in the field as Antal was at her best in the circle Tuesday evening.
The senior would strikeout the side three times during the night, accumulating 14 in total in the game. She gave up just one hit to the Lancers, which came in the top of the fourth when Caitlyn Goffinet shot one through the middle for a single.
Antal managed to surrender no walks and just one hit-by-pitch during the premier performance as well.
"She was on fire," Jeremy Williams said. "There were a couple pitches that she normally doesn't throw that were working (Tuesday). She just kept wanting to go to them and man, (the ball) was moving like it never has before. I've really never seen her move it like that, and it was awesome."
Antal also made things happen in the batter's box throughout the game, going 3-for-3 with the RBI triple, a two-run home run in the bottom of the third and a single on the evening.
With the victory, Westview advances to play NECC foe Fairfield in the semifinals Thursday.
Westview fell to the Falcons last Tuesday, 8-6, in a game in which the Warriors committed nine errors.
"It's been 10 years, and it's always Fairfield," Jeremy Williams said. "It's almost like Fairfield gets in our heads before they even show up here. This is the perfect setting for us to finally get that monkey off of our back. Hopefully these girls will show up and play the same way they did (Tuesday) and punch them in the face."
Evan Lepak can be reached at evan.lepak@goshennews.com or 574-533-2151, ext. 240326. Follow him on Twitter @EvanMPLepak.
