ANTHONY CARACCIOLO follows through on an RBI single to open the scoring for the Highlife in their 7-6 win over the Unknowns on Tuesday. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — The Game of the Year in the 2024 Wakefield Twi League season has an early candidate.
On Tuesday night at Moulton Park, the Highlife held off the Unknowns 7-6 in what started out as a slugfest with a combined 12 runs in four innings before turning into a pitcher’s dual for the final three frames.
The Life moved to 2-0 on the young season while the Question Marks fell to 1-2.
The Highlife seized control early on, racking up three runs in the 1st and four in the 2nd on their way to a 7-2 lead.
Unknowns ace Adam Chanley (4IP, 3H, 0R, 2BB, 4K) entered the game in the 3rd and shut out out the Life the rest of the way, giving his team a chance to get back into it, which they did by plating three in the 4th to make it 7-5 and one more in the 6th to really put the pressure on.
A debate — much more concise and understandable than the one on TV last night — about starting the 7th inning briefly occurred as the clock read 8:01 p.m. Technically, a full inning can’t begin after that time in the Twi. The Highlife agreed to play on anyways, sending out Owen Riddell (2IP, 3H, 1R, 2BB, 4K) for his second inning of relief. The lefty ended up with the six-out save, working around a hit batter and single by Chanley to start the 7th and striking out the side in the waning minutes of daylight at Moulton to seal the win for the Highlife.
Both teams had a balanced attack throughout the middle of their lineups.
For the Highlife, RBI knocks came from the No. 3-7 hitters Caleb Birchem, Anthony Caracciolo (2-for-3), Eric DiTonno (2-for-3, 2RBI), Anthony Cecere and Bill Curran (2RBI).
For the Unknowns, RBI knocks came from No. 3-6 hitters Brett Maloney (3-for-4), Chris Porter (2-for-4, 2RBI), Geoff Eriksen and Kevin Murray.
The Orange got one run off Highlife starter Birchem (5IP, 7H, 4ER, 5BB, 8K) who struggled to find the zone early with three walks and a wild pitch leading to the first run of the game. He struck out two to end the threat.
The Life wasted no time in getting that run back with Danny Concessi (2-for-3) leading off with a double in the gap and later coming around to score on a base hit by Caracciolo. Later with the base chucked, Curran came through with a single to score two and give the Life the lead for good.
Maloney’s RBI base hit in the 2nd made it 3-2 but Birchem continued to make clutch pitches when he needed to, once again getting a strikeout to end the inning with runners at 2nd and 3rd.
The Life’s four-run 2nd was a classic, two-out Twi rally, started once again by Concessi with a single. Derek Dettorre (2-for-4) followed with an infield hit and Birchem brought home Concessi with a base knock. Later, DiTonno’s blooper to right scored two more, making it 6-2 and Cecere tacked on one more with another single.
The Question Marks came up with nothing in the 3rd thanks to DiTonno’s incredible catch at second base. A bloop nearly identical to the one he had hit minutes before, looked destined to bring home two runs, but DiTonno turned his back on the ball and sprinted to the outfield, making an over-the-shoulder basket catch. If it wasn’t a nod to the late, great Willie Mays, it was at least a tip of the cap.
After Chanley settled things on the mound for the Unknowns, the Orange went to work on their comeback in the 4th. Chris Power (2-for-4) started it with a one-out single before the Unknowns began a two-out rally of their own with an RBI triple from Porter on a bomb to dead center that got lost in the Memorial Elm trees. Eriksen followed with a base hit to make it 7-4, getting to second base after a misplay in the outfield which ended up costing the Life a run as Murray’s single was enough to make it 7-5. Once again, to Birchem’s credit, he got the out he needed with another strikeout.
Riddell entered the game in the 6th and the Unknowns welcomed him with a one-out single by Maloney and another RBI knock from Porter to officially put the pressure on with the game now at 7-6. Dettorre helped his pitcher out by snaring a grounder, stepping on second and throwing to first for a 6-3 double play to end the inning.
After another strong frame by Chanley, made more impressive by the fact that he battled through an injury on a rocket of a comebacker that hit him square in the foot in the 4th, the Orange started their hopeful 7th-inning rally with a hit by pitch and a Chanley single.
Riddell’s three, clutch strikeouts in a row, first looking and then two swinging on high heaters, ended the early game-of-the-year candidate in style.
The Life sit atop of the standings with the reigning champion Brewers (2-0) while the Unknowns are joined by fellow 1-2 teams the Loafers and Expos in the middle of the pack.
Doubleheaders will occur on Monday and Tuesday before the league breaks for the 4th of July.
