Epic baseball battle ends with Watertown walk-off

FRANK LEONE went 3-for-4 with an RBI and 2 runs scored on Monday night in Watertown. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

By DAN PAWLOWSKI

WATERTOWN — The Wakefield High baseball team trotted onto Victory Field in Watertown on Monday night with a four-game winning streak in tact. Awaiting their arrival was a tough Raider team (4-4), champing at the bit for their matchup with a Warrior group at the top of the Middlesex League Freedom Division standings with a record of 5-1.

The result was a wildly entertaining slugfest between two high-powered offenses. After the Raiders put up four runs in the 2^nd inning to reclaim a 5-2 advantage, the Warriors bounced back with one in the 3^rd and three in the 4^th to take a 6-5 lead. Watertown tied it in the 5^th and would eventually go on to win it with a walk-off in the 7^th for a final score of 7-6.

Wakefield’s offense was led by juniors Frank Leone (3-for-4, RBI, 2R) and Steven Woish (3-for-4, RBI). Senior Drew Barrett (2-for-4) and freshman Aidan Bligh (2-for-3, RBI) also had multiple hits. Senior captain Matt Elwell and sophomore Cam DePrizio added RBI’s.

The Warriors got on the board in the 1^st after Leone singled and advanced to second on a groundout, setting up Woish to rip an RBI double down the left line.

Wakefield starter, senior captain John Porter, battled back from two Raider singles to lead off the bottom of the 1^st. Watertown tied it on a fielder’s choice but Barrett threw out a runner trying to steal third on a nice one-bounce on the Victory Field turf and a groundout ended the inning with the game tied at 1-1.

Barrett led off the second with a base hit and stolen base. He moved to third on a wild pitch and Bligh brought him home with a missile up the middle for a 2-1 advantage. Andrew Nemec bunted Bligh to second but the Warriors couldn’t bring him in.

MATT ELWELL lines up a throw to first on a double play in the 3rd inning of Wakefield’s game against Watertown on Monday night. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

Watertown loaded the bases with no outs and would later convert on a 2-RBI single for a 5-2 lead. With runners at first and second and two outs, Leone ended the inning with a great play at second base, running back on a flair that almost blooped in for another run.

With a run scored in each half inning to this point, Wakefield kept it going with one more in the top of the 3^rd. Leone led off with an opposite field single and moved to 2^nd on a Woish knock. Leone stole third and rumbled home after the throw sailed into left to make it 5-3. Again, the Warriors left a runner stranded but were once again in striking distance.

Junior Jack Stromski entered the game in the 3^rd after another Watertown leadoff hit. With runners at first and second and one out, Stromski got a grounder to short where Elwell fielded it to his left, stepped on the bag and threw it to first where junior Tylor Roycroft made one of his many picks in this game to end the threat.

The Warriors, who came into this one after combining to score 27 runs in their last two games, made sure to capitalize in the 4^th. Bligh led off with a base hit and Nemec sliced a double to left to get Wakefield in business. DePrizio followed with an RBI single and promptly stole second. Elwell got the job done with a sac fly to tie the game at 5-5 and Leone continued his impressive game by roping a double to deep left-center to reclaim the lead at 6-5. Leone, trying to score his third run of the game, later scrambled home on a wild pitch and appeared to get under the tag but was called out and a grounder ended the inning.

Stromski (4.2 IP, 2ER, 5H, 4K, 2BB) had two strikeouts in the 4^th to sit the Raiders down in order, something Watertown’s starter replicated in the top of the 5^th as the game settled down.

JACK STROMSKI pitched well in relief for the Warriors on Monday night against Watertown scattering 5 hits and 2 runs while striking out four in 4.2 innings of work. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

Watertown loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the 5^th and tied it on a check-swing blooper. Bligh fielded a grounder and made a nice throw home for a force and the first out and Stromski picked up a huge strikeout on a curveball that froze the batter for out number two. Another battle ensued with two outs and the bags still full but Stromski won it, fielding a comebacker and getting his team out of it with the game tied.

Wakefield went 1,2,3 in their half of the 6^th and a 6-4-3 double play ended the home half to send it into the 7^th.

Roycroft singled to lead off the 7^th but the bats fizzled against a new pitcher.

After Stromski worked to get two outs in the bottom of the 7^th, a walk and a stolen base set up an RBI single to left that would end up being the game-winner as another close play at the plate went Watertown’s way to end it at 7-6.

Wakefield (5-2) will travel to Belmont (1-6) tonight for another game under the lights with a 7 p.m. start time. They return home on Thursday to face a strong Winchester team (8-1), 4:15 p.m. at Walsh Field.