Baseball: Oh, mercy-Chaps sweep Madison in playoff opener

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When Westlake’s fielders hustled off the field after giving up eight runs in a disastrous fourth inning in game two of the Chaps’ best-of-three bidistrict playoff series against San Antonio Madison, skipper Jim Darilek scrutinized his ballclub’s body language.

And what he saw spoke volumes about his team’s confidence during an 18-8 win Friday at Woerner Field that sealed a Class 5A Region IV bidistrict series win.

No one lagged behind, legs deadened by an 8-4 deficit. No one looked at the dirt. No one slumped his shoulders. No one seemed beaten.

“They came straight to me after that inning, saying ‘Don’t, worry, we’re going to get it back,’ ” Darilek said. “And give them credit; they went out and did it.”

Fueled by such bravado, the Chaps blasted out five hits and six runs in the bottom of the frame to retake the lead.

Westlake’s offense didn’t stall after the fourth. The Chaps added eight more runs in the sixth frame to end the game with a 10-run mercy rule. They enter this week’s area playoff series with San Antonio Stevens on a torrid pace at the plate: in the series win over Madison that also included an 11-1 victory May 6 in San Antonio, Westlake rolled up 31 hits, 29 runs and three dingers.

“We saw some good pitching [against Madison], but we put the bat on the ball,” Westlake’s Miles Hanson said. “This gives us a lot of confidence going into [the next series.]”

Hanson didn’t let his struggles on the mound affect his hitting Friday. He gave up seven hits in the fourth frame and didn’t come back to the mound in the fifth, handing the ball to reliever Lewis Guilbeau. However, the 6-foot-5-inch slugger did go 4-for-4 in five plate appearances and drove in two runs with a homer that sailed over the left-field wall in that explosive fourth inning.

“I wasn’t hitting my spots, and I wasn’t pitching very well,” he said. “But we turned it on hitting and had some fun.”

According to Darilek, Hanson should fare better in the three-game series with Stevens that begins Thursday at Wolff Stadium in San Antonio.

“I think Miles needs some rest; he may be a little fatigued,” he said. “But he’ll get a whole week now, and that should help him.”

Hanson still earned the win, and Guilbeau came in to pick up the save. The outfielder, who only threw 6 2/3 innings in the regular season, tossed two perfect innings to quiet the Mavericks’ bats.

Guilbeau also made plenty of noise at the plate with three hits, three runs scored and two RBIs. He ended the two-game series with seven hits in 10 at-bats and seven RBIs.

“He’s just a special kid,” Darilek said. “Lewis doesn’t get nervous or upset; he just plays and has fun.”

Chris Watkins, who earned the complete-game win in game one, had two hits and a three-run homer Friday. First baseman Bret Schumacher added two hits and three RBIs.

Westlake will face San Antonio Stevens in a best-of-three Class 5A Region IV area playoff series. Game 1 will be Thursday at 8 p.m. at San Antonio’s Wolff Stadium. Game 2 will be Saturday at noon at Westlake’s Woerner Field. Game 3, if necessary, will follow game 2.