There's no place like home for Westfield, who bounced back after a tough loss on the road last Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Cranford Cougars on Wednesday and snuck past 7-6. This was payback for Westfield, who suffered a 9-2 loss the last time these two teams met.
Kevin Dowling looked comfortable as he tossed 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Aaron Ives, who scored a run while going 3-for-4. Jake Alfano was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
On Cranford's side, Joseph Paccione was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched 5.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Paccione has been consistent recently: he hasn't pitched less than five innings in three consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Patrick Bendert made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Westfield's victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-1. As for Cranford, their defeat ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 7-5.
Westfield will be playing at home against Governor Livingston at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Westfield is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7.9 runs per game this season. As for Cranford, they will head out on the road to face off against New Providence at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The last three games New Providence has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
