By Ben Moffat

It was a breezy Friday afternoon, and Westwood High School’s softball team found no trouble breezing past McClintock, winning 24-3.

Westwood struck early, scoring three runs in the second inning, and often, breaking the game open with an 11-run third.

The Warriors seemed to score in almost every way imaginable – infield hits, long doubles and triples, inside-the-park home runs, wild pitches – and never trailed the Chargers, only sharing the lead for a total of three at-bats between the bottom of the second inning and the top of the third.

The team took full advantage of McClintock’s fielding mistakes. Wild pitches and dropped fly balls directly contributed to at least seven Westwood runs and set up several more.

McClintock coach Darrell Werkheiser admitted that his team struggled with defense.

“We gave up some errors with girls on base, but when someone really hits the ball in the gaps there’s nothing you can do,” Werkheiser said. “I tell them the same thing happens in college and in the pros. You hit the ball in the gap and score runs, put people on base.

“It’s a hitter’s game,” he said.

Westwood coach Wayne Hill agreed.

“They hit the ball very well,” Hill said. “We’re a very good-hitting team. We make our adjustments well.

“That’s what’s great about this team. They just hit the ball well. And hard.”

And hit the ball they did.

Westwood junior first baseman Kelsey Ayre went 4 for 5 with three triples, one of which came in the third inning, when she also singled.

Despite the team’s miscues, McClintock catcher and team captain Rose Nielsen said she saw improvement in how her team played.

“Today was one of the first days we did really good hitting as a team,” she said. “We actually made contact, and we fought, and we were loud, and we played with a lot of heart today, even though we had some errors. It’s OK. We didn’t get down on ourselves, and I’m proud of everybody for that.”

The loss brings the Chargers to 1-15 this season.

The team hasn’t won a game since defeating its rival Tempe High in the season opener.

Still, Werkheiser hasn’t lost hope. He said his team is still having fun.

“It’s 100 percent the most important thing, having fun,” he said. “Learning from each other, making friends with each other, supporting each other in the classroom and on the field.

“Morale is high. I see girls smiling. That’s the most important thing I got.”

Nielsen echoed her coach’s statements.

“We just have fun,” she said. “That’s all we’re out here to do. It’s just school ball. It’s something to do that’s fun. I love these girls so much. I just have fun playing out here with them, win or lose.”

Ben Moffat is a journalism student at Arizona State University.

Twitter: @bmoffatphotos