Westlake Storms to Title, 12-3

A pair of big innings powered Westlake High to a 12-3 victory over West Torrance in the championship final of the Glendale baseball tournament Thursday night at Stengel Field.

Westlake (9-6) scored four runs in the first inning and six in the sixth. In between, the Warriors escaped several jams in what for a while was a close game.

Lanky right-hander Scott Singleton pitched his way out of trouble in the first, third and fourth innings, then yielded to reliever Tony Dellamano for the game’s biggest play with two out and the bases loaded in the top of the sixth.

With Westlake leading, 6-3, Dellamano came in and induced Brian Lacroix to ground out to shortstop Shane McCarthy to end the inning.

“Our pitching staff has just gotten us out of so many jams the past couple of games,” Westlake Coach Rich Herrera said. “And our defense played well the whole tournament. All they needed was another hit here or there.”

After Dellamano had quieted the West Torrance rally, Westlake padded its lead to 12-3 in the bottom of the sixth. West Torrance made three errors in the inning and John Snyder hit a three-run home run. Eleven Westlake batters came to the plate.

In the first, Westlake’s Keith Wilson scored on a passed ball and Snyder delivered a run-scoring single to tie the score, 2-2. Josh Kurczeski then added a two-run single for a 4-2 lead.

West Torrance (12-5) committed two errors in the first inning and another in the second when Westlake stretched its lead to 6-2. Snyder and Rico Lagattuta singled to drive in runs.

West Torrance scored a run in the fourth on a one-out single by Sean Patcheak that drove in Derek Nicholson from second.

A potential big inning was cut short, however, when Joe Intermill was thrown out trying to advance from first to third on the play.

Singleton (3-1) pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits. He struck out three and walked two. Dellamano, who also pitched a scoreless seventh, earned his first save.