Late Surge Leads West Orange Past Dr. Phillips

For five innings, the visiting West Orange Warriors clung to a 1-0 lead against the Dr. Phillips Panthers. Then they reverted back to their high-scoring ways and exploding for eight runs in the final two frames to come away with a 9-1 win on Wednesday night.

The Warriors, who had scored 33 runs in their first three contests of the season, where kept in check by Panthers starting pitcher Christopher Moore.  Moore tossed three shut-out innings to start the game, allowing only two hits while striking out three.  It was not until the fourth inning that West Orange was able to break through against reliever Graham Gardner. Deandre Shelton looped a flyball intoright field to bring Nathan Schreckengost around for a 1-0 Warriors lead.

Two innings later, in the top of the sixth, the Warriors broke out of their slumber and brought the lumber.  They scored four runs, sparked by a lead-off single by Chris Seise and RBI doubles by Kole Enright and Roberto Guillen.  The seventh inning saw more of the same from the Warriors.  Four more runs crossed as they tallied five hits while batting around for the second consecutive inning.

Doug Nikhazy and Cole Beavin split the mound duties for West Orange.  Nikhazy made the start and worked the first four innings, holding the Panthers hitless while striking out four.  Beavin took over in the fifth and fanned six more Panther batters while allowing one run on one hit, a home run to left-field by Ricky Hidalgo in the seventh inning after the game was already decided.

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