Sean Moore hit a grand slam in the top of the seventh inning to pretty much cement this win for the Trojans.

Started about 20 minutes late because of rain that delayed the first Class 3A semifinal this afternoon.

These teams split a regular-season double-header. Hempstead came in 33-3, West was 29-8. Starting pitchers (long since departed): David Rachke (6-0, 1.75 ERA) for West and Aaron Collins (5-0, 2.03 ERA) for Hempstead.

West’s Moore singled with one out in the first and got as far as third base. Hempstead’s Brad Duwe walked with one out but was erased on a double play.

West loaded the bases with one out in the second on a Spence Bonner single, a hit by pitch and walk. But No. 9 hitter Tommy Heinrich grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Hempstead had runners on the corners with one out in the bottom of the second. But Rachke got a strikeout and a 6-4 force on a bang-bang play at second base.

West went ahead in the third on the oldest high school baseball play in the world. With runners on the corners and two outs, Ryan Rumpf (the guy at first) intentionally took off early for second on a 1-2 pitch. Lefty Collins went into his motion but Hempstead catcher Crabill stood up, forcing Collins to stop for a run-scoring balk. With runners on the corners again, a wild pitch scored Rumpf for a 2-0 West lead.

Hempstead threatened again in the third. With two on and two out, cleanup hitter Alex Timmerman hit a deep twisting drive to center field, with West CF Heinrichs running back and to his right to make a nice catch on the warning track.

West added a third run in the fourth. Aaron Peller walked leading off, stole second, went to third on a groundout and scored on Nate Ewing’s check swing blooper to LF. A Moore double off the left-field wall was followed by Neil Madsen getting hit by a pitch.

That ended Collins’ night, with Rumpf greeting reliever Nick Barker with a two-run double to right-center to make it 5-0. Madsen then scored on a chopper to third that Hempstead 3B Toby Decker hesitated, then threw late to home.

Hempstead got on the scoreboard in the fifth. John Reed walked leading off, Toby Decker singled to right and Duwe walked. A sacrifice fly to right off the bat of Andrew Redman scored Reed. Another walk ended Rachke’s night and loaded the bases again, but reliever Luke Crimmins got a short fly to CF and a groundout to 2B to end the threat.

Hempstead’s best attempt at a comeback came in the sixth. Three consecutive singles from the bottom three hitters leading off were followed by a run-scoring hit by pitch. But Crimmins retired Duwe on a short fly to center and got Redman to bounced into a humongous 4-6-3 double play.