Lincoln-Way West keeps bats rolling

Updated: May 7, 2011 8:34PM

If hitting is contagious, then coach Jake Zajc’s Lincoln-Way West squad is just plain sick right now.

West pounded out 10 more hits (25 total over two days) that lead to seven runs over the first five innings in support of starting pitcher Dan Fifer’s complete game effort as the Warriors cruised to a 7-3 victory over Joliet West in Southwest Suburban conference action Saturday morning.

Fifer (7 IP, 3R, 6H, 6K, BB) helped himself just as much as his teammates did at the plate going 2-for-3 with three RBI.

“With the run support that I got, it helps tremendously on the mound,” Fifer said. “I have been swinging the bat solid pretty much all year. When one kid gets a hit it’s contagious and the past few games that is what we have done.”

Lincoln-Way West (14-7) got to Tigers starting pitcher Steve Bukauskas in the second inning as Travis Wysong’s sacrifice fly scored Luke Morgan (who had earlier doubled). Later in the inning RBI by Robert Hubbard (2-for-3, double, 2 RBI) and Fifer extended the Warriors lead to 3-0.

“We got some runs early and held onto it,” Zajc said. “I thought that our pitcher Dan Fifer did a tremendous job of coming out, competing and throwing strikes. Dan did some of his best work when it was strike one. Any pitcher will be successful when they are throwing strikes, especially for strike one.”

“I go out there and battle and throw strikes and hopefully they get themselves out. Nothing fancy.”

The same trio of Warriors that did damage in the second repeated the feat in the third as RBI singles by Wysong, Hubbard and Fifer pushed the West lead to 6-0. Timely hitting has been the recipe for success lately for the Warriors as all but one of the runs early came with two outs in the inning.

“We need to continue to push more runs across the board when we have a lead but overall we’ll take the win,” Zajc said.

Joliet West (12-7) was able to manufacture a run against Fifer in the fourth inning and inched closer in the sixth on Mike Grindstaff’s two-run homer to cut the West lead to 7-3 but went 1-2-3 in the seventh.

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