Varsity baseball defeats Westminster 2-0 in first game of season

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In the fifth inning, senior Gavin Casas scored the Patriots’ second and final run of the game. To celebrate Casas’ home run, the team crowded home plate and cheered the first baseman on as he jogged the bases. (Photo/Kayla Rubenstein)

The varsity baseball team dominated the diamond in their first game of the season against Westminster Christian in a shut-out held at home Tuesday, Feb. 18. Beginning the game with a strikeout, junior Devin Futrell started the momentum that continued throughout the game and that ended with a 2-0 Patriots win.

Despite facing challenging pitching, the Patriots had five hits, with the first run coming in in the bottom of the second inning. Centerfielder and lead-off batter senior Enrique Bradfield Jr. singled on a line drive that brought third baseman and pitcher junior Juhlien Gonzalez home. 

“We knew coming in it was going to be a tough game,” Bradfield said. “We knew that they brought a great pitcher and strong lineup. We just knew we had to stay within our game plan and execute the best.” 

The second run came in the bottom of the fifth with senior first baseman Gavin Casas’s single home run. “We faced two quality arms tonight,” head coach Bruce Aven said. “It was nice that our guys competed and to come out on top to win a close game like this. It was good to start off our season.”

As for the rest of the season, Bradfield looks to continue performances like tonight. “I’m excited. There’s going to be a lot of tough matchups, but I think when we put everything together like tonight, there’s no team that can beat us,” he said.

(Photos/Kayla Rubenstein)

As a senior, Kayla Rubenstein spends her fourth (and heartbreakingly final) year on staff as Online Editor-in-Chief, Business Manager and Social Media Correspondent. Wanting to make the most of her senior year, Kayla serves as the President of Quill and Scroll, Historian of Rho Kappa and Co-Historian of NHS, while also actively participating in EHS and SNHS. Outside of school, Kayla contributes to Mensa’s publications and volunteers with different organizations within her community. An avid reader, Kayla can often be found with her nose in a book when not working on an article for The Patriot Post or developing a project for iPatriot Post.