Westboro on top in Small Division, beats Medford in 10

DAIRYLAND LEAGUE SMALL

The Westboro Trojans took over the top spot in the Dairyland League’s Small Division over the weekend but they had to survive an upset scare from Medford Saturday night to get there.

The Moondogs led much of the way, had a close call go against them in the eighth inning and then couldn’t quite capitalize on a golden opportunity in the ninth. Westboro crushed Medford’s hopes of a win with a sixrun top of the 10th and finally won it 10-5.

Westboro moved to 3-0 in league play, one-half game ahead of 3-1 Tomahawk, who lost 10-6 at Pittsville on Sunday. Medford fell to 0-3.

Medford tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth. Down by one, the Moondogs got a one-out walk from Austin Davies and a base hit by Trent Klemm. Marshall Westfall took over for Klay Ellenbecker on the mound and struck out Roy Stinson to get Westboro one out away from victory. But Brady Wisniewski walked to load the bases and Ryan Paul, who had re-entered for Davies, scored the tying run on a wild pitch and gave Peyton Gilles a chance to win it. But Westfall got him to hit a comebacker, sending the game to extra innings.

With the Major League rule in effect of starting the inning with a runner on second base, Westboro wasted no time jumping ahead and putting this one away.

Connor Westfall singled off Medford pitcher Gavin Fuchs to put runners on the corners and Willy Johnson singled in the go-ahead run. An errant pickoff throw scored Westfall. Dayne Marlenga walked and with one out, Klay Ellenbecker lined a two-run triple to the gap in right-center. Dustin Freeman added an RBI single and Medford failed to get outs on two fielder’s choice ground balls allowing another run to score.

David Hecker’s RBI groundout got one run back for Medford in the bottom half, but that wasn’t nearly enough.

The Moondogs took a 2-1 lead with two unearned runs in the fourth and held that lead until the eighth. Brady Wisniewski hit a clutch, two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead to 3-1. Westboro got one back in the seventh when Javon Penney doubled, Ellenbecker singled and they successfully pulled off a double steal.

Medford nearly widened the lead in the bottom half, starting the inning with base hits by Paul, Klemm and Stinson. But Paul was forced out at home on a grounder hit by Wisniewski and Freeman, playing third base, speared an absolute bullet hit by Gilles and doubled Klemm off the bag for an inning-ending double play.

Westboro grabbed the lead in the top of the eighth. Dakota Willemssen doubled and with one out, Connor Westfall grounded one to Joey Bartolone at third. His throw was wide of first base but Paul caught it and, at first, was ruled to have tagged out Westfall. But after a discussion, Westfall was called safe. Willemssen scored the tying run on Johnson’s groundout and Marlenga singled in Westfall with go-ahead run.

Westboro outhit Medford 14-12. Ellenbecker, Willemssen, Butch Wiegel, Connor Westfall and Marlenga had two hits apiece for the Trojans. Paul was three for four and Klemm was three for five for Medford.

Marshall Westfall got the win in relief, striking out four and walking one in 1.2 innings. Wiegel started for Westboro and went four innings, allowing six hits and a walk while striking out three. Johnson went three innings, giving up a run on five hits. Ellenbecker got four outs and was charged with an earned run.

Bartolone went five-plus innings as Medford’s starter, allowing a run on four hits while striking out four, walking one and hitting three. Stinson went three innings, allowing three unearned runs on four hits. He struck out three and walked one. Fuchs covered the last two innings and was tagged with the loss.

Westboro hosts Abbotsford (2-1) Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in the make-up date of a June 25 postponement, while Medford is at Spirit (0-3) at the same time, making up a June 11 postponement.