1 week Ago By Haley Sawyer
Westlake player Blake Miller rounds third base while on his way to scoring the winning run against Thousand Oaks in a Marmonte League game in Thousand Oaks on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)Westlake player Caden Atkinson makes it safely to second base before Thousand Oaks player Dylan Sax can tag him out in a Marmonte League game in Thousand Oaks on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)Westlake player Mason Berlinger celebrates scoring a run with his teammates against Thousand Oaks in a Marmonte League game in Thousand Oaks on Friday, April 11, 2025.
(Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)Westlake player Mason Berlinger celebrates stealing second base against Thousand Oaks in a Marmonte League game in Thousand Oaks on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)Westlake player Dylan Ramsey pitches against Thousand Oaks in a Marmonte League game in Thousand Oaks on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)Thousand Oaks player Dane Holt makes it back safely to first base before Westlake first baseman Mason Charles can tag him out in a Marmonte League game in Thousand Oaks on Friday, April 11, 2025.
(Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)Westlake players celebrate winning against Thousand Oaks in a Marmonte League game in Thousand Oaks on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)Show Caption1 of 7Westlake player Blake Miller rounds third base while on his way to scoring the winning run against Thousand Oaks in a Marmonte League game in Thousand Oaks on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)ExpandWESTLAKE — Westlake baseball coach Wally Barnett didn’t give Mason Charles much instruction when he went up for his final at-bat against Thousand Oaks on Friday afternoon.
Charles had yet to get a hit in the game. “Just put the ball in play,” was all the guidance he needed. The senior first baseman saw a fastball that he could drive and sent it to right field, scoring Blake Miller and securing the Warriors’ sixth home walk-off win in a row.
The Warriors remain the Marmonte League’s top team after beating the Lancers 8-7 in eight innings.Westlake (14-4 overall, 8-1 Marmonte League) has an important series next week against Oaks Christian, which is second in the league.“We’re persevering a lot through this,” Charles said.
“It’s making us learn a lot about ourselves and how deep our bond is here on this team. A lot of us are very close friends, so it’s fun to do this six times in a row with your friends.”It was Charles’ second walk-off hit of the week after hitting the game-winner Tuesday.
He also hit a three-run home run in Thursday’s 7-3 win.“He started off slow in February and he has picked it up and been one of our best hitters,” Barnett said. “He’s putting the ball in play.
That’s where my trust is at. He’s seeing the ball well and he’s hitting the ball hard.”Rocco Cortell was called in from right field to close out the bottom of the eighth inning at pitcher and gave up one hit.
“It was 7-3 going into the seventh inning, and I thought we were gonna get it out,” Cortell said, “but you’ve always got to be ready for anything that happens in the game.”Dylan Ramsey was on the mound for Westlake for the first five innings and gave up three hits while recording three strikeouts.Thousand Oaks (9-9, 2-7) jumped on the board early by scoring three runs in the top of the first inning.
Omar Heredia and Justin Maher each hit RBI singles and Jake Ange hit a sacrifice fly to left field.Westlake scored seven runs in the first three innings but fell into a lull after that.Thousand Oaks picked up its pace and put up four runs in the seventh inning to tie the game.
Gavin Berigan and Heredia drove in runs with singles to get the rally going and Matthew Magruder tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Westlake’s Mason Berlinger made a diving catch in center field for the final out of the inning.“I tell them: In baseball, there’s ups and downs,” first-year Lancers coach Hayden Cronenbold said.
“You’re gonna have leads. You’re gonna blow leads. A couple walks, couple knocks here or there and we’re right back in a game.
“That’s the type of mentality that we’ve got to show throughout a whole game, not just in the first inning, and then the seventh. But we’re getting there.”Westlake has just one returning starter from last season in Noah Stead.
The Warriors lost three of their first four games of the season but have been successful in a competitive Marmonte League with only one loss to Calabasas.“I felt that it was gonna be a learning year, but these guys worked hard this offseason,” Barnett said. “The love that they have for each other to win for each other — sometimes that’s all you need.
Knowing the guy next to you can get the job done pushes you a little harder to get the job done as well.”Related ArticlesNotre Dame baseball shuts out Harvard-Westlake for big Mission League winDaily News Boys Athlete of the Week: Izzy Parsky, ViewpointDaily News baseball Top 10: Crespi and Harvard-Westlake in top spotsSierra Canyon baseball bands together to hand Crespi its first lossDaily News Boys Athlete of the Week: AJ Seidel, Calabasas.
