THE WAKEFIELD 3 baseball team finished their summer season in the Northeast Massachusetts Baseball League with a 12-0 record. (Courtesy Photo)
WAKEFIELD — On Thursday, Aug. 12, the championship game of the Northeast Massachusetts Baseball League summer division for ages 13-16 took place at Wakefield Memorial High School’s Walsh Field. The game was between North Reading and one of the three Wakefield teams (called Wakefield 3) that participated in the summer league. There were 13 teams in the league and Wakefield 3 finished with a 12-0 record.
Wakefield 3’s toughest game by far was the championship game against North Reading who was also undefeated until the playoffs. North Reading scored a lot of runs against the other teams they faced during the regular season, but this championship game was very tight with no score through four innings. Third baseman Sean O’Rourke got one of the only hits in the first few innings.
Wakefield made a lot of impressive fielding plays during the game, like a double play hit to first baseman Marc Gagne, who threw it second base, then the shortstop, John Fitzgerald, threw it back to second baseman Nicolo Labieniec who covered first base. There was also a rundown play, started when pitcher Charles Gagne caught a North Reading player trying to steal second base. Gagne, along with first baseman Luke Grief, second baseman Labieniec and shortstop Fitzgerald, handled the play perfectly.
WAKEFIELD 3 celebrates their 2-1 victory over North Reading in the NMBL championship game on Aug. 12 at Walsh Field. (Courtesy Photo)
In the top of the 5th inning, North Reading was able to get a run in and their players and parents were very excited. In the bottom of the sixth inning, however, a new pitcher came in for North Reading when their starting pitcher ran out of pitches. The new North Reading pitcher walked three Wakefield batters in a row: O’Rourke, Peter Swain and Brody Wyatt. This pitcher was then swapped out for a new pitcher, with the bases loaded and no outs. There was a short ground ball hit which resulted in a double play, with runners thrown out at home and first. So then there were two outs with Swain and Wyatt on second and third and Wakefield 3 still down 1-0. Wakefield catcher Colin Ala came up to bat next and, to everyone’s excitement, hit a single deep to the left/center gap that scored Swain and Wyatt, making it 2-1. Right fielder Sam Jurczak then hit a nice single over the shortstop’s head and the inning ended afterward with the third out.
It was the top of the 7th inning next, North Reading‘s last chance to score a run to tie and extend the game. Pitcher Charles Gagne went back to the mound and one of the team’s leading players, Cameron Jaena, went out to catch for Gagne. The first out was a ground ball to Gagne, who threw the runner out at first. The second out was a diving catch by Marc Gagne at first base. A long, high fly ball was then hit to center field which looked like trouble, but center fielder Wyatt made the catch before teammates and coaches ran to the outfield to celebrate. The other players on the team who came up big during the season in the field and at the plate were Jayvith Chea, Sam Seidman, Shane Conroy, Matt Carter and Andrew Nemec.
Thanks to coaches Michael Labieniec, Bruce O’Rourke and Mathieu Gagne, everyone on the team had an enjoyable season and we’ll hope to get everyone back for next summer!
