Warrior baseball comes up short to Tewksbury in first round

JAYVITH CHEA looks a throw into second base on a steal attempt against Tewksbury in the first round of the Div. 3 tournament on Sunday at Walsh Field. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

By DAN PAWLOWSKI

WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield High baseball team lost to Tewksbury 9-1 on Sunday at Walsh Field in the first round of the Div. 3 State Tournament. 

The 9^th-ranked Warriors fell into an early 2-0 hole after the 1^st inning and the visiting 24^th-ranked Redmen exploded for 6 more in the 3^rd to take complete control and advance to the Round of 16 where they will meet No. 8 Bishop Stang.

“The game did not go the way we would have hoped,” said head coach Kevin Canty. “We were not as sharp as we hoped on the mound and we faced about as good of a pitcher as we have seen all year. Those two factors made it tough to find ways to score and keep Tewksbury off the scoreboard.”

A triple and clutch RBI base hit off Warrior junior starter Marc Gagne did the damage for the visitors in the opening inning. 

Meanwhile, the hometown team couldn’t manage more than a baserunner or two during their ups as Tewksbury’s junior starter, southpaw Zach Russo kept the Warrior batters off-balance with a tricky sidearm delivery. Russo went the distance in this one, scattering 5 hits and 1 run while striking out 3 and walking only 1 in a phenomenal outing.

Tewksbury’s outburst in the 3^rd included two, 2-RBI doubles and a final run on a squeeze bunt that Wakefield reliever, senior captain Jack Stromski ended up playing well as he started a double play with a throw to first where senior captain Tylor Roycroft quickly spun it back home to get a runner trying to steal one more run, but the damage was done as the visitors ended the inning up 8-0.

While the Warriors struggled to find a rally, Stromski settled in, surrendering just three more hits and one more run in the next four innings. 

In the end, Wakefield couldn’t find the spark they needed at the plate. They had baserunners in both the 4^th and 5^th on a walk from sophomore Aidan Bligh and a single from junior Jayvith Chea but the Redmen played terrific defense behind Russo’s strong pitching, making multiple highlight-reel plays to help halt any potential comeback.

Wakefield scratched a run across in the 6^th after two basehits from junior Andrew Nemec and Bligh set up an RBI knock from sophomore Jack Pennacchia, but once again, the visitors made the rally-squashing outs they needed to get out of trouble.

Though certainly fair to say that Tewksbury’s No. 24 seed was a bit of a miscalculation, the bottom line is the Warriors weren’t as sharp on Sunday as they were throughout a fantastic season that now concludes with an overall record of 16-5. 

Wakefield, who won the Middlesex League Freedom Division title for the second straight season, had plenty of highlights this year, including an 8-game winning streak and a run from April 19 to May 25 in which they won 13 of 14 games. 

A state tournament loss is always a surprising, screeching halt to a terrific season, but the Warriors will eventually look back on a successful campaign with plenty of great memories.

“Overall, there is lots to be grateful for,” said Canty. “Our seniors led this team very well and the future is bright with most of our pitching and lineup returning next year. On top of that, our young guys now have experience in games like this, which will only benefit us going forward.”

Captains Roycroft, Stromski, Frank Leone and Steven Woish along with Joe LaMonica, will leave the Warriors with some of the best resumes as any Wakefield baseball group in recent memory. 

“It’s not the way the five seniors would have wanted to go out but 31 wins and two league titles the past two years are things they can look back on,” said Canty.