Published: June 02, 2009 09:44 am      

Westview takes 10-7 slugfest from Bremen

The thunder in the air couldn't compete with the thunder in the bats in the first semi-final game of the Westview 2A Sectional Monday night.

The Warriors emerged the victors, outlasting Brement 10-7 in a slugfest that featured 12 extra-base hits.

Westview belted 18 hits, including seven doubles and a homer. The Lions blasted three homers and a double among their eight hits.

"This was a great offensive performance by both teams," Westview coach Joel Mishler said. "It's an old cliche but it's a shame one of these teams had to lose."

The game was interrupted for a little more than an hour in the bottom of the third inning by a thunderstorm.

"Our guys did a great job in a situation where we played three innings, then had to sit for over an hour, but still coming out and playing with energy," Mishler said.

Tyler Mowery picked up the win with 2-2/3 innings in relief of starter Nic Mishler, who came out after the rain delay. Austin Haney got the last out of the sixth and finished up the seventh to earn the save.

"Ty came up big,"Mishler said. "We needed him to to get three innings to get to Haney."

The Warrior bats were smoking from the outset. After Adam Christner was hit by a pitch to lead off the game, Jesse Schrock, Nic Mishler and Haney hit consecutive doubles to go up 3-0.

Westview added another in the top of the second to go on top 4-0. But the Lions roared back with three in the bottom of the innings on a two-run homer by Matt Bahr and an infield single.

Mishler hit a towering homer down the leftfield line to start another three-run inning in the third.

Bremen's Cody Barrier answered with a lead-off homer in the bottom of the third, the last pitch before the rain delay. The Lions added two more off Mowery to close to 7-6.

Two more in the top of the fourth made it 9-6 in favor of the Warriors.

Westview then benefitted from what may have been the biggest play of the game in the bottom of the fourth.

After a lead-off walk to Bremen's Steve Cornett, Eric Zeltwanger hit a line drive to short with Cornett running. Westview easily turned the double play.

That put Barrier at the plate with the bases empty. He launched his second homer of the game, making it 9-7.

"Wasn't that a big play?" Mishler said. "Talk about a game of inches."

The Warriors added their final run in the top of the sixth.

In the bottom of the frame, Mowery got the first two outs before Zeltwanger walked. Mishler then brought Haney in to face Barrier.

Haney induced the ground out, then struck out the first two batters of the seventh on his way to nailing down the victory.