Sara Reid — Special to the Weakley County Pres
Posted: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 4:07 pm

Score — Westview's Adam Garner flies toward home plate with the Chargers' first run, while Dresden catcher Eric Evans waits helplessly for a throw. The Chargers built an early lead then weathered a Lion storm in the middle innings.

Though the Lions made it a close contest early by pulling within two runs in the top of the third inning, Westview opened up an eight-run lead in the fourth and finished the game after six with a 15-5 win over visiting Dresden this past Friday night in Martin.

Dresden put the game’s first run on the board in the first inning when Gatlin Hatchel walked and Eric Evans doubled to drive in the run and put the Lions up 1-0. Westview answered with a single from Taylor Weber and a double from Adam Garner. A second straight double — this one from Madison Hughey — drove in Weber to tie the contest 1-1. Travis Garner was hit by a pitch, and another run came in on a hit from Nick Shell. A sacrifice fly from Andrew Fisher drove in another run and a single from Stanton Watson put a fourth run on the board and gave the Chargers a 4-1 lead at the end of the first.

Weber sat down three straight Dresden batters to start the second and Westview put two more runs on the board on hits from Hughey and Travis Garner to push the lead to 6-1 after two.

The Lions came back in the third as Josh Bone singled, and both Chris Peeler and Hatchel walked to load the bases. Matt Beaty drove in Bone. A deep drive by Austin Evans to left brought home Peeler and another single from Daniel Harris cut the Charger lead to 6-4.

Westview responded by putting two more runs on the board in the third and widening the gap to 8-4.

Dresden scored another run at the top of the fourth when Peeler and Hatchel walked and Peeler came home on a wild pitch. It would be the last run of the game for the Lions, however, as Westview put up five more runs in the fourth, thanks in large part to Dresden’s allowing five walks, to put the Blue and Gold ahead 13-5. The Chargers were held at bay in the fifth, but finished the game in the sixth when a Weber fly ball to the center field fence sent in two runs and gave Westview the 15-5 win.

The Westview win capped a busy week in which it claimed its first two District 13-AA wins, topping Milan 15-14 on Monday and again by a 4-2 margin on Tuesday. The Chargers (6-1-1) added an 11-1 win over West Carroll on Thursday.