By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield High baseball team won their second in a row yesterday with a key 7-0 victory over Burlington at Walsh Field. The Warriors moved to 8-8 on the season and are now two wins away from qualifying for the Div. 2 state tournament with four games left to go in the regular season.
Wakefield put the ball in the left hand of senior Luke Ickes, needing a quality start in what was surely Wakefield’s biggest game of the season to date.
Ickes certainly delivered, throwing a complete-game shutout to earn the win. Ickes surrendered just three hits while striking out six. He threw 101 pitches and allowed only one base runner from the 5th inning on.
Wakefield needed Ickes to keep the visitors off the board for the first half of the game until they broke out with five runs in the bottom of the 4th.
The Warriors tacked on two more in the 5th and Ickes took it from there, sending Burlington to their sixth consecutive loss and splitting the season series after the Red Devils took game one 8-7 on April 22.
Wakefield had RBI knocks from Evan Simoneau (2 RBI), Matt Elwell (2 RBI), Zack Kent (2 RBI) and Nick Knowles (1 RBI), their 1,2,3 and 5 hitters.
The Warriors had plenty of production throughout their lineup in this one, especially from the 8 and 9 hitters, Mike Parent and Steven Woish who both got on base multiple times.
It was Parent who started the 5-run rally in the 4th, reaching on an infield single with one out. Woish followed with a walk and after both runners advanced on a wild pitch, Simoneau came through with a two-RBI base hit, bringing a crowded Walsh to life on a beautiful day.
“Simba” had some alert base running to get to second on the throw from the outfield and returned home to Pride Rock when Elwell lined an RBI double to give Wakefield a 3-0 advantage.
Kent kept it going with his own RBI single. Later with two outs, the senior captain stole second and his fellow senior captain Knowles made the Red Devils pay with yet another RBI base hit and a 5-0 lead.
Ickes had his second consecutive 1,2,3 inning in the 5th, a strong mix of pitches continuing to baffle Burlington’s hitters.
The Warriors put the game out of reach in the bottom of the 5th. Nathan Delgado led of with a single. Woish reached on an error at short and Simoneau singled to load the bags. Elwell’s second RBI hit made it 6-0 and Kent brought home Woish on a sacrifice fly.
Ickes cruised in the final two innings and the Warriors picked up a huge victory.
Wakefield will now turn their attention to Watertown for their final league game of the season. The teams will meet under the lights on Thursday at Victory Field, 7 p.m.
The Warriors then return home on Monday at 4 p.m. where they will host Northeast Metro Tech. Their final two games will take place at a tournament hosted by Peabody High, Saturday May 28 and Sunday May 29.
