The Westchester Babe Ruth 14U baseball All Star team defeated the Northeast Regional Champions - Connecticut - 18-4 in the first game of World Series pool play Saturday in Murray, UT.
Westchester jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on an LJ Gilliam double, a Matthew Kanfer single and - after a walk and a hit by pitch - a Carlos Jacobo sacrifice fly to center. Southbury scored a single run in the bottom of the first. Westchester added to its lead after Gilliam was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a balk, and then scored again on a Kanfer single.
Westchester broke the game open in the third, scoring four more on singles by Jacobo, Avery Allen and Matthew Kaplan, and a double by Kanfer, making the score 7-1.
Westchester wasn't done offensively, scoring three more in the fourth on singles by Allen, Ethan Lazar, Gilliam and a double by Kanfer. Southbury came back for three in the bottom of the fourth, knocking out Westchester starter Anthony Chavez. Reggie Castro came in and shut down the rally, preserving Westchester's 10-4 lead.
Neither team scored until the seventh when Westchester exploded for eight additional runs, with a booming double by Jacobo and a double to right center by Christian Amador.
"Connecticut played well early,” said starting first baseman, Matthew Kaplan. “We had some hits fall and then things got rolling. I expect that Connecticut will be a major factor in this tournament."
Westchester takes on Southeast Regional Champion Jacksonville, Florida on today at 11:30 a.m.
