April 29: Jesuit 13, Westview 4
April 30: Jesuit 11, Westview 1
May 2: Jesuit 16, Westview 0
The Jesuit Crusaders dominated the Westview Wildcats in a Metro League matchup with a 3-0 sweep.
As of May 8th, The Crusaders have a record of 14-5, and are ranked 6th in the state, a jump from their ranking in previous weeks.
Ranked 1st in the Metro League, the Crusaders are looking to win Metro and go on a playoff run.
In the first game of the series against Westview, senior Kainoa Santiago got on base with a walk. Junior Jake Rolling then hit a deep sacrifice fly ball, allowing Santiago to score for the Crusaders.
With seniors Johnny Ingalls and Colby Lipp pitching for the Crusaders, they comfortably walked away with the game beating the Wildcats 13-4.
The second game of the series was a similar story, with senior Grady Keljo pinch hitting for sophomore pitcher Chase Kelly, hitting a big double off the wall, which got the Crusaders hyped early in the game.
With sophomore Chase Kelly pitching the whole game, the Crusaders were able to walk away comfortably with the win yet again, with a final score of 11-1.
The third game ended with yet again another victory for the Crusaders, with seniors Calvin Martinez and Grady Keljo pitching. With two hits and two runs from junior Henry Vanderhoff as well as a strong close out from Keljo, the Crusaders finished the series with a dominant 16-0 win over the Wildcats.
The Crusaders will continue their Metro League run, finishing their regular season with upcoming games against Beaverton, Southridge, and Aloha.
A playoff run will not come easy however, with junior Jake Rolling stating, “Along with realizing that it is going to be a grind, and it doesn’t really matter how many stumbles or falls we have, we have to be the guys that always get back up and keep fighting.”
With teams like West Linn and South Salem on the rise, the Crusaders are working hard to secure home field advantage when the time comes.
“I think for us if we can secure home field advantage, I don’t think any team is unbeatable and I think that we can beat anybody,” Rolling said.
The Crusaders have been feeling confident.
“We have officially caught our stride this season, the team is coming together and mashing the baseball,” senior Carter Stewart said. “Our pitching staff has given us a great chance to win games and our bullpen has stepped up in a huge way. Specifically Colby Lipp has been a huge piece to each one of our series, nearly pitching for us every week.”
Although a championship won’t come easy, the Crusaders are confident in their ability to continue fighting.
