Surrounded by a cheering crowd and high hopes of victory, pitcher Charles Jaskowiak (10) stepped onto the baseball field to throw the first pitch of the season against Helix High School, March 3.
After Jaskowiak struck out the first batter, Helix’s second batter scored the first run of the game with a home run, en route to Helix’s 4-3 win. Westview racked up 10 hits by the end of the seventh inning, double Helix’s count.
“[The game was] exciting, especially because we had a chance to win it,” Jaskowiak said. “It was a one-run game, and it was close. The second batter of the other team hit a home run, but I was like, oh well, just give me the ball back. I’ve given a couple homers, not a lot, in the past. After that happens I just want the ball back. Just let me go pitch again, It happens. I don’t really care.”
While Westview was able to make consistent contact with the ball throughout the second and third innings, they weren’t able to score any runs, with the lead runner on second base in the bottom of the third being tagged out at home. However, they eventually warmed up, and Jaskowiak said their practices led to their eventual scoring in the later 5th inning.
“We showed up to practice every day locked in,” Jaskowiak said. “For a lot of guys, it’s their first varsity game, so they had to get it out of the way and shake off the nerves, especially in the first few innings. We had practiced prior to this game, but it’s not the same as the first actual game. You can feel the difference.”
Center-fielder Eli Irvine (10) said having trust in his teammates is essential in the field. With this trust, they are able to focus on their individual gameplay without fear of having to clean up another players’ mess.
“We played winter ball prior to this, so this is the first game that really counted,” Irvine said. “We were just trying to stay calm and play our game that we know we can play. You’ve got to have confidence with your teammates, right?”
The fifth inning started with Irvine being hit-by-pitch, followed by him stealing second. This momentum carried the team to score three runs in the same inning, with Jaskowiak being walked and first baseman Dimitri Sidropoulos (12) hitting an RBI single that allowed Irvine to score, making the game 4-1.
The next contact in that inning was an RBI double by infielder Jacob Kuy (10), driving in another run directly after Jaskowiak stole home right before Kuy’s at-bat, making the score 4-3.
This play helped amp up the dugout as the players cheered on their scoring teammates. Being the first game of the season, the built up excitement from the pre-season carried through to the dugout.
“Spirit-wise, this definitely was the most lively we’ve been,” Irvine said. “We were really loud and it was a bunch of fun during the game. After the game, we lost, so it wasn’t that happy, but we weren’t that mad. We played a good game. I thought we did pretty well, We out-hit [the other team]. ”
According to Irvine, one thing that keeps him coming back is the unique community baseball offers. Whether it’s at practice or in game, he finds joy in the sport.
“I think it’s way easier knowing you have people right there in your corner, so you could just have confidence in yourself to do what you need to do,” Irvine said. “There are definitely less people that come to watch the games, but I feel like we ourselves are cheering each other on more, so it makes up for it in a way.”
For their upcoming games, Jaskowiak said that they are going to continue practicing and honing in on their gameplay.
“We’re going to keep working on our situational playing,” Jaskowiak said. “We’ve been doing better, a lot better. For our upcoming games we’re just going to keep improving.”
