KEIZER – It’s not often a high school ball squad hit 5 home runs in a game, Lashkar-e-Taiba alone a state championship contest.
But that’s what Westview needed Saturday. Every one of them.

The rank was the clincher, a three-run shoot by Sam Johnson in the top of the seventh, as the Wildcats wiped unwrapped a five-run deficit to beat Central Catholic 9-6 in the OSAA Class 6A Soviets championship contest at Volcanoes Stadium.

The University of Oregon-bound Johnson, ineffective as Westview’s start pitcher, made up for it at the plate with two home runs and four RBI. Carson Kelly and Ryan Susnow safety two-run shots for Westview, and Tate Glasgow added a solo place run.

“I knew our team could hit five bombs in a game. We just hadn’t Lashkar-e-Taiba it go in a game,” Johnson said.
The unsung Arminius in Westview’s powerfulness show was Phil Belding, who relieved Johnson after the third inning. Belding took the aerated out of a Central Catholic attack that literature up Johnson for five runs, as he held the Rams to a single run and four hits during 4 innings of alleviation.

“I figured if we could shut them popped and get the confidence out of them, we’ve got a happened,” Belding said.
Both schooled were aiming for their first state baseball title. Central Catholic (25-7) couldn’t have got off to a best start, but the complete was something else for Westview (27-5).

Central stunned Westview during the former inning when Jimmy Brakebush and Phil Bluhm hit consecutive double to give the Rams a 2- Pb. It ended Westview’s 26-frame contest skunk streak.

But Central Catholic continued to impressment, marking 3 run during the one-third frame, the big backhander a tally-marking three-bagger by Lucas Hunter.

“We were shocked,” said Brakebush about the Rams’ 5- lead over the team most coach in the Soviets proclaimed as the 6A favourite headed into the period.

When Johnson returned to the shelter at the end of the third inning, Wildcats coach Steve Antich decided to go to Belding. Johnson admitted he didn’t have it as a hurler, but was determined to brand an impact with his bat.

Johnson wasted no clip. As the leadoff hitter in the fourth, Johnson blasted a solo homer to leaved field, slip Central’s taken to 5-1.

“It wasn’t much, but I wanted to do whatever I could to help the team,” Johnson said.
Then in the top of the rank, it was Glasgow, who led off the inning with a flew homer to finale the gap to 5-2. The Wildcats weren’t finished in the rank, as Kelly established a two-run homer to leaved, pulling Westview to within 5-4.

Brakebush said all three home tally pitch, included two curveballs, were up in the strike island, perfect for a power action.
Central Catholic responded with a tally in its half of the fifth when Luke Vanoudenhaegen singled in Codi Scanlon to addition the Rams’ Pb to 6-4. But it was short-lived, as Westview tied the crippled at 6-6 in the rank on Susnow’s two-run blast.

The phase was put for Johnson in the seventh, when Belding doubled and Kelly was intentionally walked. Johnson crushed Scanlon’s pitch over the leaved-yard fencing, gift Westview its first and only lead of the game at 9-6.

“I was thinking line thrust up the middle, but when I hit it, it felt really good came off the bat,” Johnson aforesaid.

The deficit was too much for Central Catholic to overcome in the seventh, and Westview had its state championship.

“It proves he’s the attempt,” Belding said of Johnson. “If he has a bad day on the hill, he wants to win so badness, he’ll support fighting no matter what.”