All is well for Unknowns as Elwell’s clutch hit leads to 4-3 win over Loafers

CHRIS ALDEN got the win for the Unknowns on Tuesday night at Walsh Field. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

WAKEFIELD — The fireworks show came early on Tuesday night at Walsh Field, as Matty Elwell capped off a 4-for-4 performance by driving in the go ahead and ultimately winning run in the top of the seventh inning to give the surging Unkowns a tight, 4-3 victory over the Loafers. 

With the win, the Unknowns climbed over the .500 mark with a 3-2 record heading into the Twi League All-Star break.

The game featured a pitching duel for the early innings between the Question Marks’ Chris Alden and the Loaf’s Luke Ickes. Ickes put on a pitching clinic, striking out 15 hitters while only walking one batter but the Orange struck first against Ickes in the 2nd inning. Geoff Eriksen led off with a walk; Ickes struck out the next two hitters before Bryan Butt blooped a single that fell in front of the left fielder to move Eriksen to third base. Eriksen put his 30 years of Twi experience to service as the next hitter, Wubby Power hit a sky high pop up behind first base that eluded the fielder and allowed Eriksen who was running hard with two outs, to scamper home with the first run of the game.

The Unknowns would tack on two more runs against Ickes and the Loaf in the top of the 4th. Eriksen led off with a sharp single to right field and rumbled all the way around the bases on Luke Martin’s double to the newly configured right-center outfield of Walsh Field. Butt then ripped a line drive up the middle to score Martin for the RBI to make it 3-0.

Alden was cruising along until the bottom of the 4th inning when the Loafers finally got to him. Jared Pavey and Taylor Robinson hit back-to-back singles to get things started. After an out, the sizzling bat of Don Dubuque loaded the bases with another single. The Loaf’s third baseman, Justin Sencabaugh launched a long drive to left field that was lost in the sunlight to allow Pavey to score and move all the runners up a base. This knocked Alden out of the game and coach Ian Power brought in Adam Chanley to douse the flames. The next batter, Nate Ickes, lifted a sac fly to centerfield, plating Robinson to make the score 3-2.

LUKE ICKES had 15 strikeouts against the Unknowns on Tuesday night at Walsh Field. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

The Loaf tied the game in the bottom of the 5th inning. Centerfielder James Beaton smacked a ground rule double to right field but was erased during the next at bat on a fielder’s choice by Pavey. Robinson then reached base on an error at second base, allowing Pavey to move to third. Dom Sorrentino followed with a rip to right field that scored Pavey but Robinson was cut down at home plate on an excellent cutoff and relay throw from Butt in right field to Tommy Caron at first base to Kevin Murray at home to keep the game tied.

The game went to the top the 7th inning still tied until the Unknowns broke through against the mastery of Ickes. Butt continued his torrid hitting by collecting his third base knock of the game. Ickes then mowed down the next two Orange hitters, setting up a cinematic Twi finish. 

Elwell sliced a line drive down the left field line that kicked up some chalk to stay fair and Butt hustled all the way from first base to score the go-ahead run that eventually gave the Unknowns the win.

The Twi League will return to action on Monday, 6 p.m. at Moulton Park when the Expos (1-3-1) take on the High Life (2-1).