Brody Holcomb made the most of a shift in the lineup.
Holcomb, W.F. West’s right fielder, was moved to the leadoff spot for Thursday’s nonleague contest against previously-undefeated 4A Yelm and responded, going 3 for 4 and scoring the go-ahead run in an 8-6 win for the Bearcats in Chehalis.
“He definitely answered up,” W.F. West coach Bryan Bullock said. “He got off to a slow start, and we know that the capability’s there, and we gave him an opportunity and he was productive.”
The majority of the lineup was productive, with seven players registering a hit for the winners.
“We’re finding our identity a little bit,” Bullock said. “I was really proud of our team effort. I really feel like the last two games, everyone has contributed, team-wide.”
The Bearcats got a run in the first on a double from Michael Rose and an RBI single by Hayden Dobyns. Yelm, though, answered in the second, with 4 runs — highlighted by a solo homer to right field by Indigo Keesler — though the last three were unearned. A dropped fly in the outfield opened the door for three straight hits, with a 2-run double off the left-field wall by pitcher Daylon Mathews.
Jacob Cleary took over on the hill in the fourth inning, surrendering three hits but giving up a pair of unearned runs in a sixth inning that saw back-to-back Bearcat errors set up a 2-run, two-out base hit.
The team’s four errors, Bullock said, were certainly uncharacteristic.
“The last couple days we haven’t been able to get on our field, and I think that showed a little bit,” he said. “But I know our guys will come back from that, and I really believe we are a solid defensive team.”
The miscues worked both ways. The Bearcats got 2 runs back in the bottom of the third, with hits from Holcomb and Rose, a bases-loaded walk to Tyler Pallas and a wild pitch. They pulled ahead in the fourth; an error put Ryan Steepy on base, Holcomb singled, and Rose bunted them both over. Elijah Johnson was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and two batters later Pallas singled to the left side of the infield. The throw to first, though, was off the mark, allowing Holcomb to score the go-ahead run.
“We need people to get on base and cause havoc for the other team,” Bullock said. “He did exactly that.”
J.C. Cleary then blew the game open with a double off the wall in left-center field, plating 2 runs and giving W.F. West a 7-4 advantage.
Johnson added an RBI infield single in the fifth inning.
Rose finished the game 2 for 3, while Dobyns went 1 for 2.
W.F. West (3-1) will open Evergreen 2A Conference play on Tuesday with a home game against Tumwater.
