Call Westlake-Royal Victorious, 5-2

The adage “to each his own” applies to the Westlake-Royal American Legion baseball team, which switch-hits in the name department depending on who is running the public-address system.

“It’s Westlake-Royal, technically,” Coach Mike McClure said. “But depending on which guy’s dad is on the microphone, it changes sometimes.”

Royal-Westlake or Westlake-Royal?

A product of Westlake High would tend to list his school first, and vice-versa for someone from Royal.

That is the team’s versa vice.

“We have about an equal number from both schools, actually,” McClure said. “We let ‘em go by whatever way they prefer.”

By any name, Westlake-Royal usually wins, and that’s the name of the game. Tuesday’s victim was Woodland Hills West, which fell, 5-2, in an inter-district game at Moorpark College.

Westlake-Royal (5-1) shook off a 15-1 spanking at the hands of Newbury Oaks in a District 16 game Saturday to beat West, a District 20 contender that had won three games in a row.

Westlake-Royal rallied against West left-hander Randy Wolf in the third, scoring four times to take a 4-1 lead. Wolf, a sophomore outfielder from El Camino Real High who figures to see plenty of time on the mound next spring, retired six of the first seven batters he faced before the bruising began.

Wolf hit Mike Worford to lead off the third, then surrendered an infield single to Mike Melucci. David Brown followed with a run-scoring single to tie the score, 1-1.

With runners on first and second, Tim Wootton ripped a liner over the left side that shortstop Dan Cey nearly snared with an acrobatic wave of the hand.

The ball rolled to the fence for a triple and a 3-1 lead.

Wootton scored moments later when Keith Wilson greeted reliever Tad Miyoshi with a sacrifice fly to center.

“Tim Wootton’s hitting in that No. 2 spot because he makes things happen,” McClure said. “That was a pretty good hit and it barely got by a pretty good shortstop.”

West (4-3) moved to within 4-2 in the fifth, when Cey doubled home Justin Balser. Westlake-Royal’s relief corps then put the game on ice. After Cey’s double, Rico Lagattuta, a left-hander from Westlake who was a draft choice of the San Diego Padres, retired six in a row.

Terry Jones, a right-hander from Royal, retired the side in order in the seventh to earn the save.

Right-hander Jason Ignacio (1-1) allowed one run over 3 1/3 innings to earn the victory.