Panthers end season with win

April 24, 2009 10:03 pm

— By SCOTT TYLER
Sports Editor

The Westwood Panthers ended the season on a high note Friday night.
Westwood used a seven-run second inning to defeat Palestine 12-1 in five innings at Palestine High School in the season finale for both teams.
“It was good for our seniors to end with a win,” Westwood head coach David Reed said. “Our kids have known Palestine’s kids for a long time so they are happy to end with a win.”
Westwood hurler Sam Dunnam was dominate on the mound, allowing two hits and striking out 10 batters.
“He has done that all year long,” Reed said of Dunnam, who earlier this season allowed two runs in 22 innings pitched. “When he is on the mound, we are hard to beat.”
After Westwood’s Zak Denison hit a RBI double in the first inning to score Ryan Mackie, the Panthers opened the game up with seven runs — all scoring with two outs — in the second inning.
The Panthers had second and third with no outs before Palestine’s Austin Daughtery got two strikeouts and was one out away from ending the inning.
Palestine decided to intentionally walk Mackie to load the bases, but the move back fired when Luke Holder walked on a full count to score the second run of the game.
Another bases loaded walk, this time to Denison, scored the third run of the game and Dunnam followed with a two-run double to right center field to give Westwood a 6-0 lead.
The Panthers then scored two runs on back-to-back Palestine errors and Westwood led 8-0 after the second inning.
Westwood added another run in the fourth inning when Aaron Stanhope slapped a RBI single to right field with two outs to give Westwood a 9-0 lead.
Palestine’s only threat came in the fourth inning when the Wildcats’ got their two hits.
With one out, Zach Collins broke up Dunnam’s no-hit bid with a single to right field. After a strikeout, Collins moved to third on an error and scored on Micah Grissaffii’s infield single.
Westwood scored three runs in the fifth inning including a RBI single by Denison to give the Panthers a 12-1 lead. Denison was 3-for-3 with three RBI in the win.
Dunnam took care of the rest in the bottom of the fifth inning as he struck out two and with runners on the corner, he got a come backer to end the game.
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Scott Tyler may be contacted via e-mail at styler@palestineherald.com