McCarthy Closes Westlake Deal

Tyler Adamczyk of Westlake High, protecting a two-run lead over Cypress in the bottom of the seventh inning, had just walked the bases loaded with one out and was behind, 2 and 0, in the count.

Enter closer Ryan McCarthy.

McCarthy threw a ball, then a strike, before getting Zack Swanson to ground out to first, scoring Christian Vitters from third.

Jason Filarey grounded out to shortstop, giving Westlake a tense, 4-3, victory Friday in a Division III quarterfinal game at Cypress High.

Cody Cipriano’s two-run single broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth for Westlake (24-6-1), which plays Norte Vista in the semifinals Tuesday.

“I knew [Swanson] wasn’t going to swing [on] 3-0,” said McCarthy. “After I got the first strike it was downhill from there.”

The second-seeded Warriors took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on McCarthy’s two-run triple.

Chad Halbert of Cypress (21-8) settled down to allow his team to draw even, 2-2, by holding Westlake scoreless through the next three innings.

Cypress scored in the third on Swanson’s single to right that scored Rusty Murray from first when right fielder Luke Riordan misplayed the ball.

The Centurions tied it in the fourth on J.J. Lovejoy’s bases-loaded single to center with one out, but Scott Moore hit the ball to McCarthy at shortstop, who turned it into a double play.

“I’m disappointed because we had our key guys up in the right situations but didn’t get the big hit,” Cypress Coach Dave Lewis said. “I’m not disappointed in our effort, just the way things went.”