KEVIN DELEARY slides home to score the winning run in the Slappers’ walk-off, 8-7 win over the Expos last night at Moulton Park. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — Sandlot baseball is at its best when the pitchers’ duel is away on vacation.
The Twi League has certainly had its share of such low-scoring games over its nearly 50 years of existence but it’s fair to say that the league is most entertaining when the ball is flying around Moulton and when leads are crumbled just as quickly as they are built.
This season, there has been a combined average of 11.2 runs scored per game in the 13 played so far as the league enters its Fourth of July break.
The Slappers and Expos combined for 15 last night at Moulton, one day after they played to a 5-5 tie at Walsh Field.
The ‘Spos put up five in the 3rd to take a 5-0 advantage but the Slap responded with one in the 3rd and six in the 4th to take a 7-5 lead. The Expos then chipped away, eventually tying it 7-7 in the top of the 7th. A one-out triple by Kevin Deleary in the bottom of the 7th put the Slappers in business and Deleary scampered home on a wild pitch for a walk-off, 8-7 win, the first of the season for the Slap who improved to 1-3-1.
The Expos, who fell to an identical 1-3-1 record, broke a scoreless stalemate in the top of the 3rd, starting with a one-out, bird-chasing double by Erich Hickey to right-center. Seth Johnston followed with RBI single sliced to right to open the scoring. After an Anthony DeVito base hit, Mike Iannuzzi (2-for-3, 3RBI) connected on a 2-RBI triple. Nick Knowles (2-for-4, 2RBI) brought home Iannuzzi with a double and Zack Thomas followed with an RBI double down the left field line to make it 5-0.
The Slap got one back in their half of the 3rd on a Jack Ryan (2-for-3, 2RBI) RBI single but Expos starter Colby Lee did a nice job of limiting damage.
The Slappers broke through in the 4th started by a one-out double from Deleary (2-for-3). After an error, Dave Holman’s double to right brought home two, cutting the deficit to 5-3.
Benny Tomsyck (2-for-4, 2RBI) later tied it on a 2-RBI double that got lost in the Memorial Elms in center and the Slap took advantage of the momentum with a Ryan blooper that made it 6-5 and a laser of a double from Jake Barresi (2-for-4, RBI) that made it 7-5.
In classic Twi fashion — where the real world of work can sometimes make you late for what really matters — 2024 Middlesex League baseball MVP and Twi rookie Steven Woish got his first at-bat in the top of the 5th, leading off with a double. He later came around to score on a Knowles double to make it 7-6.
It was Woish who also led off the 7th by squeezing a triple down the left field line. Iannuzzi came through in the clutch to tie the game once again, stretching a blooper into a double to score Woish. Slapper reliever Ben Tartarini, who replaced his cousin Brian after 5 frames, got a flyout and strikeout to end the threat and keep it tied, giving his team a chance for a walk-off.
Deleary’s one-out triple to dead center in the bottom of the 7th got the Slapper bench going but Expos reliever Aidan Riley got his second out on a pop-up, putting all the pressure on Holman at the plate. It was a tough ending for the Expos when a ball in the dirt got to the backstop and Deleary beat the throw back to the dish for the win.
The Unknowns beat the Loafers 4-3 in the other Twi game of the night over at Walsh.
As the teams break for the holiday weekend, the reigning champion Brewers sit atop the standings with a record of 3-0, followed by the Highlife (2-1), Unknowns (3-2), Loafers (2-3), Slappers and Expos.
