The Blossom Valley Athletic League Mount Hamilton baseball race got a little tighter on Monday as Leigh defeated Westmont 7-0.
The Longhorn victory puts Leigh (13-8 overall, 11-4 league) in a first-place tie with Westmont (14-7, 11-4). Willow Glen (13-8, 10-5) had a chance to join Westmont and Leigh at the top, but fell to Branham (12-8, 8-7) 2-1.
Leigh junior pitcher Spencer Mace was in command against the Warriors, using a fastball and a cutter to hold them to two hits over six innings. Mace struck out one and walked five.
"I had a little trouble locating my fastball, but they were putting the ball in play and that helps," Mace said.
Leigh scored the only run it really needed in the first on Sam Delaplane's RBI single to center field.
Westmont had hits in each of the first two innings, but couldn't get a runner past first base.
Leigh picked up some insurance in the fifth on Chris Norman's two-out, two-run single to center. Norman was replacing Landon Wayker at the plate after Wayker cut his lip in the first inning during a close play at first base.
"Norman doesn't get rattled," Leigh coach Chris Perry said. "That's what I love about him. He got a pitch to hit and he did what he's supposed to with it."
Said Norman: "I was just looking for a fastball up and not trying to do too much with it. I just wanted to keep it in the middle of the field and get the run in. It felt good, especially with this game meaning a lot."
Leigh broke the game open in the sixth inning with four runs, helped by three Westmont errors. Austin Vierra and Jarritt Baker had RBI singles in the inning, Connor Wittig was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Nick Mello hit a sacrifice fly.
"It was a tough game," Westmont coach Tony Pianto said. "We weren't on our game from the start. The kids came out and we ran into some problems and that was it. We got beat pretty good today."
Westmont loaded the bases with one out in the seventh against reliever Caleb Hancock but couldn't score. Aaron Viner relieved Hancock and escaped the jam with a strikeout and by inducing a game-ending pop-out.
Leigh out-hit Westmont 8-4. Delaplane led the Longhorns with a pair of hits.
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John Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@Prep2Prep.com and followed on Twitter @PrepCat
