A towering home run to left field by Justin Runevitch in the bottom of the first inning gets the Demons' offense started and they ride a three-run fourth inning to their fifth victory in eight games. The Wildcats can't cash in on their opportunities after the first inning and slip to 5-5 heading into Thursday's game against Twinsburg at Baldwin Wallace University. The first pitch on Thursday is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

By Eddie Dwyer, Copyright April 2013

Westlake, Ohio - The weather was what baseball players in Northeast Ohio come to expect in April, especially for a night game.

Sure, it was cloudy and a light misty rain fell in the early going.

However, the only storm that was created at Westlake High School on a 50-degree Tuesday night came in the bottom of the first inning, when Demons' junior second baseman Justin Runevitch sent Mr. Rawlings on a no-doubter trip over the fence in left field.

Runevitch's authoritative blast seemed to awaken the Demons' spirits as they would answer Saint Ignatius' two-run top of the first, take a one-run lead in the bottom of the second and complete their 6-2 victory by scoring three times in the bottom of the fourth.

"We had chances, but you know, sometimes you just lose a game," said Saint Ignatius head coach Brad Ganor.

The Wildcats, who now stand at .500 through 10 games this spring, appeared as though they were headed for their sixth victory in their last eight games when, with two outs and nobody on base in the top of the first inning, they scored twice. The big blow was a two-run triple off the fence in right field by junior right fielder and Miami of Ohio recruit Nick Longo. Longo's rope scored senior center fielder and captain Conor Hennessey, who had singled, and junior pitcher/left fielder Nick Fabian, who drew a walk.

Westlake (5-3), which also defeated Saint Ignatius in last year's regional semifinals and finished as the Division I state runner-up under now retired Hall of Fame Coach Jeff Short, rode Runevitch's one-out solo blast, two walks, an error and a two-out hit batsman with the bases loaded to the tying runs in the bottom frame of the first.

Runevitch made his presence felt again in the bottom of the second, when his one-out, line-drive double to left gave the Demons a lead they would not surrender. Another hit batsman and two wild pitches set up Runevitch's two-bagger.

One of the bright spots for Saint Ignatius was the work out of the bullpen by recent junior varsity call up MJ Nara. The sophomore right-hander prevented further damage in the bottom of the second by coming up with two huge strikeouts and recorded another big-time K in the bottom of the third with two outs and runners and second and third.

With the Wildcats managing just one hit after the first inning - a bunt single by Hennessey in the top of the third - Westlake built a cushion with its three-run fourth.

A walk to Runevitch, a first-pitch swinging line-drive single to left by Demons' senior pitcher Danny Strodtbeck (1-0) and an error made the score 4-2. Senior shortstop Andrew Kettel delivered a one-out RBI single to left and a bases-loaded walk resulted in Westlake's sixth run.

Saint Ignatius will most likely face pitchers with larger resumes as the seasons goes on, but none with a bigger heart than the one Strodtbeck possesses.

With nothing left in his right arm but desire, the gritty Strodtbeck pitched out of bases-loaded situations in the sixth and seventh innings.

The Wildcats' line score read, 2-3-4, and Westlake's line was 6-5-3.

*Just a reminder that SIBN El Presidente John Fanta '13 and Wildcats hockey standout, the versatile Miles McQuinn '13, will bring you Thursday's game against Twinsburg live over the Saint Ignatius Student Broadcasting Network.

****And congratulations to the Wildcats' varsity tennis team, which defeated Solon, 3-2, on Tuesday.