Western Albemarle’s baseball team wasn’t exactly sure how the squad’s pitching staff would look when the 2015 season started, but Josh Casteen has been rock solid for the Warriors on the hill.
“He’s done really, really well, he’s done a nice job,” said Western coach Skip Hudgins. “He bowed his neck when he needed to and made some nice pitches.”
That continued Tuesday night as the Warriors beat Fluvanna County 6-1 and Casteen ran his personal record to 6-1 on the year with no earned runs and eight strikeouts against the Flucos. He surrendered just three hits and a handful of baserunners, and was particularly sharp in key situations.
“The difference in the ballgame is when they got people on base they got a double and when we got people on base we either hit a fly ball or struck out,” said Fluvanna coach Mike Sheridan. “Casteen threw a great ball game, he attacked the strike zone.”
Of course it helps that Western’s lineup, including Casteen himself, gave the pitcher a lot to work with Tuesday as they scored four runs in the opening frame. Stevie Mangrum got that spurt started with a double while Kreienbaum and Casteen walked to load the bases. Derek Domecq plated Mangrum and Kreienbaum with a line drive double to right centerfield. Harrison Lund drew a walk after that and Chris Hughes and Sam Hearn followed with RBIs.
Dylan Weiss finished 2-for-4 with a triple on the night while Mangrum and Kreienbaum rounded out the offensive output with RBIs in the second and third innings.
Fluvanna’s lone run came in the fifth inning when a wild pitch brought in a run.
Western (14-2) will face Charlottesville Thursday with the Warriors hunting for their fifth win in a row. Fluvanna travels to take on Monticello Thursday night.
