Warriors Lose State Title Game, But Put Westwood Christian On The Map

Westwood tries to get pumped up in between innings.

Westwood Christian did not get the result they desired in Tuesday’s Class 2A state finals at Digital Domain Park, but that does not mean the team walked away losers. The Warriors’ magical season came to an end yesterday in a 1-0 loss to Trinity Christian, yet there was still plenty of reason for celebration.

“I have nothing but respect for how hard these kids have worked,” said Warriors head coach Luis Padron. “When I came to the school a couple of years ago, we took volleyball players and made them baseball players, we took anyone that wanted to come and work hard. Most of these guys were sitting on the bench at other programs, then they came here and worked hard, and it just goes to show that if you work hard and play for each other, you can reach great heights.”

The storybook ending was in sight for the entire night Tuesday as the Warriors battled neck and neck with the Eagles. Starting pitcher Nestor Lorenzo allowed only three hits in the game, but one of them was a bloop, two-out single to right field in the fifth to bring across the lone run of the game. The batter before, the shutout had been preserved by a diving Laz Martinez in right. After the Martinez play, Padron thought they would get out of the inning unharmed.

“I thought we were going to get out,” Padron said. “Gaby (Lorenzo) made a great pitch, but that’s baseball. That’s shows you that the game sometimes comes down to breaks. It was a bloop hit, but give their hitter credit for putting the ball in play. He did his job, and I congratulate them on the win.”

Nestor Lorenzo pitched a great game in the state championship.

Despite the unlucky single, Padron was more than pleased with his starting pitcher.

“Nestor does this on the mound every time he gets the ball. He’s just a great pitcher, and he threw great again tonight.”

The Warriors offense had a tough night with Trinity starter Daniel Moritz. The 6-foot-5 senior lefty was dominant for most of the evening. Moritz struck out 14 Westwood batters on his way to the shutout win. For the Warriors, it was only the second lefty they had faced all season long. They did, however, have several chances to push a run across.

In the top of the first, Robert Hernandez reached on an error to lead off the game. After two strikeouts, Anthony Penas walked, but the threat ended on a Alex Hernandez groundout to second.

In the second inning, Westwood threatened again. Claudio Rubiera hit a one-out single to right. After a strikeout, Lorenzo singled to left-center, putting runners on first and second. Moritz worked out of the jam with a strikeout, stranding the runners.

Two more runners were stranded in the third. J.C. Cardenas started the inning with a bunt single. After a strikeout, Penas walked again. A strikeout and a lineout to second ended the scoring chance in the third.

After that, Moritz settled in, allowing only two more hits the rest of the game. The Warriors best scoring chance came in the sixth when Penas led off with a double to the left-center field gap. Westwood batters, however, could not push the run across. In the seventh, a two-out error gave the Warriors one final chance, but it was not meant to be, as Moritz ended the game with his 14th strikeout.

Westwood team members console each other after the game.

Even with the loss, the 2012 Westwood team will be remembered for putting the program on the map. No longer will people around the state not know who the Warriors are should they return to state in the future, and that is an accomplishment that Padron believes his players should take pride in.

“What we’ve created here is a baseball family,” said an emotional Padron after the game. “These seniors will move on and play college ball, but they will always be Warriors. As for us moving forward, we have a great group of returning players and ninth-graders, and I wouldn’t bet against us coming back here. The foundation has been built, and we’ll continue to be the hardest working program in the county moving forward.”

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