Saints keep rolling, Reina drives in four runs to lead attack
Published 2:00 pm Friday, April 9, 2021
Rodrick Anderson
WESTLAKE — Sophomore James Reina led an 11-hit barrage Thursday as St. Louis Catholic cruised to an 11-1 win over Westlake to maintain its hold on the top spot in the District 4-3A baseball standings.
Reina went 2-for-3 with four RBIs, scored a pair of runs and drew a pair of walks. He drove in the Saints’ (15-11, 7-0) first run on a single up the middle with no outs in the top of the first inning, followed by a bases-clearing double with two outs in the second inning to put the Saints up 5-0.
“James Reina is just a scrappy ballplayer that always puts together good at-bats,” St. Louis head coach Matt Fontenot said. “He knows how to play the game and can be productive anywhere in the lineup. He is having a really good district (season) right now.”
The Saints won their eighth consecutive game, scoring 10 or more runs for the sixth time in that span. St. Louis got either a hit, run or RBI from its entire starting lineup.
“Overall, offensively, we tried to base hit them to death and square up baseballs, and it works out for you,” Fontenot said.
Junior Thomas Watson was solid on the mound in his second start since working his way back from an injury. He allowed one run on one hit in three innings while striking out five batters, including three in the second inning. At the plate, Watson went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
“He was one of our everyday starters last year, then had some shoulder injuries, so to speak, and we worked him back throughout the season,” Fontenot said. “We are trying to get his pitch count up for the playoffs.
“He started laboring a little in the third (inning), but he can pitch. He has three pitches for a strike and is a competitor on the mound. He is going to be great to have for the playoffs for sure.”
Westlake (17-8, 3-4) was coming off an 11-inning, 8-7 win over Iowa on Tuesday but didn’t get a hit or base runner until the third inning. By then the Rams were already down 6-0.
The Rams got a run back in the third inning when Ethan Koonce scored on a Brady Pederson grounder, but the Saints added a run in the fourth and seventh innings and three in the fifth, including a two-run home run by junior Aiden Welsh.
Westlake’s Gavin Johnson was saddled with the loss after allowing 10 runs, five earned, on 10 hits in 42⁄3 innings.
St . Louis’ Evan Joubert throws to first base for an out against the Rams during a District 4-3A game Thursday at Westlake High School.
