The West Central 16U baseball team qualified for state after two wins in region series play. West Central defeated Claremont on Monday, July 24th by a score of 6-2. They defeated Claremont again on Wednesday, July 26th, 12-4, to punch their ticket to the state tournament.
After West Central scored a run in the top of the first, Claremont took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Claremont continued to hold da 2-1 lead after the second inning. West Central then put together a big rally in the middle innings. They scored three runs in the third and four more in the fourth for an 8-2 lead. Claremont got one run back in the bottom of the fourth. West Central would put the game away in the sixth with three more runs. Claremont scored one more in the bottom of the sixth, while West Central added another run in the seventh.
Nick Lorang finished with two hits. Landen Holewa, Keaton Vessells, and Cain Grocott all had one hit and two RBIs each. CJ DenBoer added a single and an RBI. Karson Vessells, JT Steckley, Carter Evans, and Bubba Kono all had one hit each. Jericho Klein had an RBI. Keaton Vessells pitched four innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on two hits and four walks with four strikeouts. DenBoer pitched three innings and allowed an unearned run on a hit and two walks with three strikeouts.
