A-W hangs on to defeat SOS in WEC play Friday

(Sentinel photo by Jesse Geleynse) A-W's Connor Heyl heads home as teammate Derek Appley signals for him to slide during the Westerners' win on Friday at South O'Brien. [Click to enlarge]

The Akron-Westfield baseball team almost let a win get away on Friday night in Paullina, but came from behind to pull out an 11-7 win over South O'Brien in War Eagle Conference baseball action.

"We coaches were ready to go, but I don't know if the kids were," A-W head coach Gordy Johnson said. "We were flat tonight."

A-W took control early in the game as they were up 5-0 through four innings.

(Sentinel photo by Jesse Geleynse) A-W's Mike Oetken makes a catch at first base during the Westerners' win at South O'Brien on Friday. [Click to enlarge]

However, SOS would answer back in the fifth and sixth as they scored six to take the lead at 6-5 and needed just three more outs to get the win. But the Westerners refused to let the game slip away as they put up six runs in the seventh to take back the lead 11-6.

SOS did get back one more run in the seventh, but that was all.

"We had plenty of chances," said Gordy Johnson. "We should have scored a lot of runs earlier, but we didn't capitalize."

A-W started the scoring in the second when Michael Harris plated two on his hit. The Westerners tacked on one more in the third on a Tyler Johnson RBI double.

A-W made it 5-0 in the fourth with RBI singles from Alex Frankl and Derek Appley.

It took awhile for SOS to get on the board, but they pushed a run across on a Jarod Syndergaard sacrifice fly. That was not all SOS would get in the game as they got five more in the sixth.

Jimmy Callahan had a RBI single, Trevor Lansink hit a three-run home run and the last run in the inning scored on an error.

A-W would not let SOS steal the game away as they answered with a big seventh inning. Connor Heyl, Harris, Appley, Mike Oetken, Tyler Johnson and Cale Banks all drove in seventh-inning runs.

SOS tacked on one more run in the seventh on a Derek Friedrichsen RBI double.

"It got away from us - we let up," Gordy Johnson said. "They're a good ball club - they hit the ball hard and we let them back in it."

Appley started for A-W and went 6 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs on nine hits and three walks, while picking up three strikeouts.

"Appley pitched pretty good through about five (innings)," said Gordy Johnson. "He pitched real well."

Ben Brown came in and got the final out in the game with a ground out to the shortstop.

"Ben did a nice job in coming in and getting that last out," Gordy Johnson said.

The Westerners improved 13-5 overall and 8-3 in WEC play with the win. They return to action Monday against Sergeant Bluff-Luton at home.