Drop 9-3 game after dominating 15-5 rout last Friday
ANTHONY CECERE (#11) is out at first base during recent game for the Wakefield Townies of the Middlesex Senior Babe Ruth League. Cecere reached safely on a fielder’s choice to drive in one of Wakefield’s three runs last night in a 9-3 loss to the Malden Bambinos at Walsh Field. (Donna Larsson File Photo)
Published in the July 21, 2015 edition
By JIM SOUTHMAYD
WAKEFIELD — What a difference a few days can make.
After crushing the Malden Bambinos by a 15-5 score on Friday night at Pine Banks, the Wakefield Townies of the Middlesex Senior Babe Ruth were unable to duplicate that dominating effort as they dropped a 9-3 decision in the rematch against the Bambinos last night at Walsh Field.
Wakefield fell to 9-7 on the season in the North division of the league while Malden increased its record to 11-6.
The contest was a close one until the Bambinos had a four-run fourth inning and a two-run fifh to put some distance between themselves and the Townies.
Matt Doherty went all seven innings for Wakefield and was reached for nine runs (five earned) on 10 hits. The left-hander struck out three, walked, two and hit a batter. He also threw two wild pitches.
Malden right-hander Dan Marini also went the distance to earn the victory. Marini gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits while walking five and striking out four.
Leading the way offensively for the Townies were Max Marchino and Jake Nardone as both had two hits. Marchino also drove in a run.
Also getting hits for Wakefield were Zach Thomas and Adam Chanley. Thomas also scored a run and Chanley drove in one of the three Wakefield runs.
Malden took a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and second innings.
In the first, Dan Cacciola walked, took second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a fly ball to right field and scored on an error at second base as the Bambinos took a 1-0 advantage without the benefit of a hit.
Malden then used three hits and a sacrifice to scored another run in the top of the second inning. Ian Steckel singled up the middle and moved to second on sacrifice bunt by Tyler Brinkley. Kyle Gillis singled to left field as Gillis scored. James Pandolfo also singled with a base hit to right field but a fly ball to center field ended the half inning.
The Townies went in order in the first inning and had a great opportunity to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning. Thomas walked but was forced at second base on a ground ball by Chanley. Marchino lined a base hit to left field and Kevin Murray walked to load the bases. Nardone tapped a grounder to first base as Chanley was forced at home for the second out. A ground ball to shortstop, which Malden’s Christian Rosati made a nice stop on, resulted in the third out being recorded at first base as Wakefield left the bases loaded.
The home team broke through in the last of the third inning with all three of its runs to take a 3-2 lead.
With one out, Shawn Smeglin walked and took second a passed ball. Brett Maloney reached on an error at third base to put runners at the corners. Anthony Cecere tapped a grounder to second base as Maloney was forced out at second. Smeglin scored on the play.
Cecere, who had reached on the fielder’s choice, stole second base. Thomas reached on an infield hit to shortstop to put runners at the corners again. Chanley blooped a single to right field as as Cecere crossed the plate. Marchino also got an RBI base hit to right field as Thomas scored to give Wakefield the lead, 3-2, before a sinking line drive to second base was snagged on a fine defensive play by Gillis for the third out.
The lead was short-lived as the Bambinos answered with four runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 6-3 lead.
Steckel singled to left field and stole second. Brinkley bunted with both runners being safe as Doherty’s throw to third was too late to get Steckel. Brinkley then took off for second as the Bambino successfully executed the delayed double steal with Steckel crossing the plate and to tie the game at 3-3.
Ron Luke then reached on an error at third to put runners at the corners. After a strikeout, Pandolfo singled to left field to score Brinkley. Cacciola reached on a fielder’s choice with Pandolfo being forced at second base. After Cacciola stole second, Christian Brinkley singled to right field to plate both Luke and Cacciola to give Malden a 6-3 lead.
Malden added two more runs in the fifth inning. Zach Coles was hit by a pitch and Marini laced a base hit to right field. After a strikeout, Tyler Brinkley had a seeing eye single roll into left field to load the bases. A wild pitch brought in Coles and a sac-fly to center field by Luke scored Marini.
The Bambinos scored their ninth run in the top of the sixth inning. Cacciola reached on an error at second and took second on a ground out. Rosati reached safely on an infield hit to third which Nardone made a nice dive to his right on just to field the ball. By the time Nardone got up and threw the ball to first base, Rosati had beaten out the throw. On the play, Cacciola came around and scored.
After the third inning, the Townies had only four base runners.
In the third and the seventh innings, Nardone led off with a single to left field. Both times Doherty smashed a line drive to the first baseman, Luke, right at the bag as Nardone was doubled off both times. Both plays were near carbon copies of each other with the second being a little closer to the bag than the first.
Neil Fitzgerald walked and stole second in the third inning after the first double play was turned by the Bambinos. But he was called out after coming off the bag as the tag was still applied.
Cecere drew a two out walk in the fifth inning but a grounder shortstop resulted in the final out of the frame.
The Townies, which had their game against Woburn postponed on Saturday, seek to rebound when they face the Arlington Cardinals tomorrow night at 5:45 p.m. at Spy Pond Field. Wakefield’s next home game is Thursday night at 5:45 p.m. when it squares off against Winchester at Walsh Field.
