Warriors ‘walk’ off Spartans for Freedom-best 11th win
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — The most exciting play in baseball…is not a walk with the bases loaded to end the game.
Of course, the Wakefield High baseball team doesn’t care about that.
Drew Barrett stayed disciplined in the final at-bat at Walsh Field yesterday with no outs and the bases loaded, watching ball four sail wide and scoring Matt Elwell for a 5-4 win over Middlesex League Freedom Division foe Stoneham. With Burlington’s loss to Melrose last night, the Warriors are officially Middlesex League Freedom Division champions.
Elwell (2-for-3, 2RBI, 2R) followed up Wakefield’s biggest hit of the game, a 2-RBI double with the bases loaded in the 5th to cut Stoneham’s lead to 4-3, with a lead-off single in the 7th. Steven Woish walked and Jack Pennacchia, who reached base in all four at-bats with two walks and two hit-by-pitches, also looked at ball four to load the bags. Barrett (3-for-3, RBI) also reached base in all four plate appearances, pairing his “walk”-off RBI with three singles. Lead-off hitter Tylor Roycroft also accomplished the feat with a single, a double, a hit-by-pitch and a walk.
The final run completed an exciting comeback for Wakefield as they erased a 4-0 Spartan lead through three innings with five unanswered in the final four frames.
Starter Owen Riddell (7IP, 7H, 4R, 2ER, 6K, 2BB) didn’t have his best stuff to start, surrendering three runs in the 1st, but like a true ace, battled back to keep his team in it. After that tough 1st, the lefty didn’t allow another earned run, scattering five hits and striking out five while walking none on his way to another win.
Wakefield racked up 10 hits and should have had plenty more but Stoneham’s infield defense was sharp, making multiple great plays including two catches on line drives, which led to easy double plays that ended threats.
The Warriors got on the board in the 4th with Woish, Pennacchia and Barrett loading the bases. Aidan Bligh hit into a double play but a run came across. It was a trade the Spartans gladly made but it also opened the flood gates for the home team which would go on to tie the game in the 5th.
To start that inning, Cam DePrizio walked before Roycroft and Frank Leone were hit by pitches to load the bags with no outs again. This time captain Elwell connected, sending a drive to right-center to easily score two. Leone was tagged out at the plate but Elwell would later come around to score on a wild pitch, tying it up at 4-4.
Riddell’s best inning actually came in the top of the 7th. He struck out the first two batters, first on a nasty curveball then on a heater. Pitch count aside, the captain likely could have gone another seven if his team needed it.
As it turned out, they didn’t.
The final result was the sixth consecutive win for Wakefield and their 10th in their last 11 games. The Warriors are also undefeated on their home field (8-0).
The team officially punched their ticket to the Div. 2 state tournament with their 10th win on Tuesday over Melrose. Head coach Kevin Canty said with that goal accomplished, the team was locked in on their goal of winning the league.
Wakefield is 10-2 in league play. Their biggest threats to winning the Freedom Division were Watertown and Burlington who are now both 7-7 in the league. Stoneham is 5-7.
In the Liberty Division, Winchester is 10-4 in the league and Reading is 9-3.
Wakefield travels to Stoneham today at 3:30 p.m. They travel to Burlington on Tuesday next week and host Watertown on Thursday. They travel to Reading on May 20. The Warriors were ranked 22nd in the latest Div. 2 power rankings.