Westfield Downed by Denville in So Plainfield

Written by Renee Trabert

Under a (waxing or waning) (full or a little shade short of full) ominous moon, Westfield battled it out with Denville for first round bragging rights in the New Jersey States and came up one run short losing by a score of 6-5.

Denville scored first but Varano at second and Oberman in left field all lent defensive support to DiFilippo’s quick work on the mound. Oberman’s lead off “ground rule” double put him in scoring position when Rinaldi (Hey, can we check that bat?) blasted a shot to plate Oberman. Double steals by Rinaldi and Bremer set Rinaldi up to take homebase on an overthrow to third.

Leading 2-1, DiFilippo returned for another effective inning, forcing three batters in a row to ground out with Rinaldi, DiFilippo and Varano throwing to Boutsikaris on first. Westfield hit the ball well in the bottom of the second but could not produce any runs.

Despite solid fielding by Barmakian and Mele in the third inning, a highly controversial call at first base enabled a Denville player to tack another run on the board tying the game. Westfield’s offense was silent in the bottom of the inning. Shaky Westfield defense in the fourth enabled Denville to score twice and take the lead.

However, Westfield came back swinging with Boutsikaris providing a lead off single and Heinbokel knocking a run-scoring double to left field. Oberman advanced Heinbokel with a sac fly and Rinaldi knocked a shot into the outfield to help Westfield tie up the game 4-4 in the fourth.

Oberman took the ball in the fifth and deftly handled a line drive for one out and picked off the runner at first to keep Denville scoreless. Denville then retired three Westfield batters to end the inning. With the game tied in the sixth, Westfield relied again on its defense with Mele capping off the inning by catching a high pop to right field and gunning a shot into Heinbokel who tagged the runner out at home.

Westfield pulled ahead in the bottom of the inning when Oberman worked a walk, Rinaldi laid down a perfect bunt and Barmakian followed up with a run-scoring single. Westfield pitchers Oberman and then, Rinaldi battled an ever-changing strike zone in the seventh, and despite a Rinaldi strike out and fielding out to Boutsikaris, a bomb to left field off a Denville bat scored two runs putting the score at 6-5. A lead off single by Mele kept hopes high but he was left stranded at third at the end of the game.