Westlake scores walk-off win, second straight in extras, as No. 10 Hillsborough tops No. 5 Bridgewater-Raritan, 5-4, in 8 innings

Coming into the game hitting just .121 through three games, fifth-ranked Bridgewater-Raritan looked nothing like that team in the first inning of their Skyland Conference Delaware Division game Thursday at No. 10 Hillsborough.

Two infield hits, two singles, and a fielder’s choice later, the Panthers took a 3-0 lead before the Raiders could even come to bat. With three more hits in the third, and the aid of an error, they had a 4-0 lead, and things looked good. They already had eight hits, four shy of their season total through three games.

But Hillsbrough – which came into the game 4-1 – started to chip away.

They got a run in the bottom of the third off Bridgewater starter Jack Lanum, after a double by T.J. Westlake drove in Tommy Kester, who’d led off with a single.

They got two in the fifth on a fielders’ choice by Alex Rieling and a single by Brayden Fox.

And they tied it at 4-4 in their next at bat when Brian Quabeck led off with a double off reliever Kevin Kelly, and Elijah Dawes drove him in.

Despite a scoreless seventh, the Raiders had momentum. Junior Samuel Malone – who came in with two out in the third – threw a one, two, three inning in the top of the eighth, setting the table for the nine, one and two hitters in the bottom of the inning.

And they delivered.

Jason Williams led off with a walk, and Kester bunted him over to second. Then Westlake won it with a double over the head of Kellan Komline in deep centerfield, scoring Willliams from second for a 5-4 victory.

While the loss was hard to take for the Panthers (0-4), who certainly broke out of their batting slump, but just couldn’t break through against Malone, it was equally exhilarating for the Raiders (5-1), who’d won in their final at bat – the top of the ninth – the afternoon prior, beating Bridgewater 3-0 in the series opener.

It’s the Hillsborough’s best start ever in four seasons under head coach Matt Mosko, and best overall since 2019, when they began 8-0 and won eleven of their first 12 ballgames. That team finished 16-6.

L.J. Aponte took the loss for Bridgewater to fall to 0-2, while Malone got the win in relief; he’s 1-0.

Click below for postgame reaction with Hillsborough senior T.J. Westlake, junior Samuel Malone, and head coach Matt Mosko, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: