Wakefield suffers three straight one-run defeats

Published in the June 13, 2017 edition.

WAKEFIELD — Three runs are all that separate the Wakefield Merchants from being undefeated in Intercity League play.

The Merchants played three games over the weekend and dropped all three contests by one run. Wakefield was edged by the Arlington Trojans, 7-6, on Friday night at Summer Street Field. On Sunday at Walsh Field, the Merchants were swept in a doubleheader by the Watertown Reds in a pair of 4-3 contests.

Wakefield is currently 1-3 on the season.

Watertown Reds Games

Watertown broke a 3-3 tie with a run in the top of the seventh as it edged the Merchants in the first game a doubleheader on Sunday at Walsh Field.

The Reds scored single runs in the first, second, and fourth innings. Wakefield, meanwhile, scored single runs in the second, fourth, and fifth.

Steve Zirinachs went the distance for Wakefield giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits while walking seven and striking out five. He also hit a batter.

Wakefield banged out eight hits against Watertown with Matt Mercurio and Edward Ravy Uong each getting two hits apiece. Both Mercurio and Ravy Uong also hit doubles.

Bobby Losanno, Mike Sorrentino, Mark Webber, and Joe Barry had the other four hits. Webber’s hit was a triple.

Losanno, Chris Butler, and Mercurio scored the runs. Ravy Uong had two RBIs and Losanno had the the other.

Mercurio and Joe Barry also walked twice. Losanno, Sorrentino, Webber, and Butler also drew a free pass to reach base.

The second game of the doubleheader went a lot like the first game as the Reds broke a 3-3 tie, this time with a run in the sixth inning to prevail.

The Reds took a 2-0 lead in the second, but the Merchants came back and tied the game at 2-2 in the third inning. Wakefield took a 3-2 advantage in the fourth, but Watertown came back with single runs in the fifth and sixth frames.

Justin Kerulas went five innings for the Merchants giving up three runs on four hits while striking out seven and walking four. Kerulas also hit a batter.

Spencer Meyer hurled two innings and took the loss. Meyer surrendered one run on two hits while striking out a batter.

At the plate, Mercurio led the way with two hits including a double. He also drove in a run.

Scott Searles, Webber, and Butler had the other three hits. Losanno and Ravy Uong both walked to reach base.

Losanno, Webber, and Vin Nardone scored the three runs.

Arlington Trojans Game

Wakefield came up short by a run against the Trojans on Friday night at Summer Street Field to suffer its first loss of the season as Arlington posted the 7-6 walk-off win.

The Merchants banged out nine hits and scored six runs. However it wasn’t quite enough.

Anthony Cecere and Nardone led the way with two hits apiece. Losanno, Nick Napoli, Butler, Dillon Koster, and Barry each had a hit as well.

Both Napoli and Nardone hit doubles, while Cecere had a triple.

Napoli scored two runs, while Losanno, Butler, Koster, and Barry each crossed the plate once. Cecere had a team high three RBIs, while Nardone drove in two runs and Barry one.

Losanno and Ravy Uong each stole a base as well. Also, Losanno walked twice and Napoli and Barry each drew a free pass.

Arlington used two pitchers in the contest.

John Smokovich hurled six innings giving up six runs on nine hits while walking four and striking out two.

Jake Ryan hurled the final inning and earned the win while striking out a batter.

Steve Keskinidis pitched the first four innings for the Merchants giving up five runs on nine hits while striking out two and walking one. The right-hander also threw two wild pitches.

Robert Shaw, a left-hander, threw two innings of relief giving up one run on two hits while walking a batter.

Joe Maguire (0-1) pitched two-thirds of an inning and gave up what turned out to be the winning run. Maguire gave up the run on one hit while walking two batters.

The Trojans had all nine batters get at least one hit each. Leading the way were Jack Kingman, Mike Besozzi, and Ryan Hood with two hits a apiece.

Mike Lynch, Kyle Bourdrias, Brian Rocha, Ben Johnston, Kennedy Wilson, and Spencer Balian each had one hit.

Hood and Johnson both doubled and Kingman clubbed a triple.

Balian drove in three runs, while Rocha, Kingman, Besozzi, and Johnston each had one RBI.

Kingman crossed the plate twice while Bourdrias, Rocha, Hood, Johnston, and Balian each scored a run.

Kingman, Besozzi, Wilson, and Balian each drew a walk as well.

The Merchants take on the Reading Bulldogs tomorrow night at 6 p.m. at Walsh Field.