In Game 1 of Senior L.L. Baseball Town Series

WAKEFIELD — Game 1 of the Wakefield Senior Little League Baseball Town Series went to the regular season leader, the Yankees, with a 7-4 win over the Nationals last night at Walsh Field.

Game 2 of the finals will be Friday night at 5:45pm at Walsh Field.

Brett Maloney earned the win going five innings and Bobby Pearl led the hitting attack with two hits.

The Yankees drew first blood in the bottom of the first inning against Nationals starting pitcher Robert Shaw.  Shaw got the first two batters out, and then Max Marchino poked a single up the middle. Pearl followed with a hit, moving Marchino to second.  A balk moved the runners up a base and then Marchino scored the first run on a passed ball.

The Yankees tallied three more runs in the second inning to go up 4-0.

Ryan Smith walked and then stole second base. Anthony DeVito walked and then Yankee four-year veteran Shawn Carlson blooped a single to center scoring the speedy Smith.  John “The Hammer” Stanfield connected for a bouncing infield single that knocked in DeVito and moved Carlson to third base.  Carmen Sorrentino lofted a fly ball to center for a sacrifice fly, plating Carlson to give the Yankees the 4-0 lead.

The bottom of the third saw the Yanks add to their total runs as Pearl ripped a single to center and then stole second. Brendan Coughlin walked to put two runners on base. Timmy Coggswell then grounded to the shortstop, but the throw was low to first and skipped by the first baseman, allowing Pearl to score and Coughlin and Coggswell to advance to second and third base Coughlin eventually scored the sixth run of the game on a wild pitch.

Maloney was rolling along through the first three innings, and getting outstanding defense from Mike Lucey at third base, and Coughlin behind the plate.

The Nationals finally pushed a run across in the fourth inning.  Nick Porter (three hits) blasted a double to right-center field and moved to third on a wild pitch.  Kevin Deleary walked, setting up a double steal between Porter and Deleary which resulted in Porter easily scoring from third base.

The Yankees scored their seventh and final run in the bottom of the fourth inning. After Shaw got the first two batters, Sorrentino lined a single to center and then stole second base.  Maloney followed with a hit to right field and Sorrentino scored just eluding the tag from Nationals catcher Alex Johnson.

The Nationals would climbed back into the game in the top of the fifth inning.  Maloney got the first batter out and then got into trouble.  Joey Alden walked and Shaw ripped a single to right field, moving Alden to second.  Tyler Pugsley scorched a ball to center field, but the outfielder dropped the ball allowing Alden to score and Shaw to third base.  Johnson then sliced a ball to the left side of the infield and the defender misplayed it, allowing Shaw to score and make it 7-3 after five innings.

Lucey came in for relief in the sixth inning and didn’t allow a run.  Shaw continued to baffle the Yankee hitters in his sixth inning of pitching, not allowing a run and giving his team a chance for the seventh inning.

The Nats’ Alden led off the top of the seventh inning with his second walk of the game.  Shaw followed with a vicious line drive to right field, but Stanfield snagged it before it could hit the ground and nearly doubled up the runner at first.  Pugsley hit a hard grounder to the left side hole of the infield, but Maloney cut it off and threw the runner out at second.  Johnson lined a single to left and then the torrid hitting Porter connected for a single to center, scoring Pugsley to make it 7-4.

With two runners on and the tying run at the plate, Lucey got Brian Tartarini to softly fly out to Pearl who made a leaping catch in short left field.

Yankee Manager Rick Norton said after the game, “We played sloppy, and it wasn’t our best game, but it’s a win and we will take it.”

Game 2 is tonight as the Yankees hope to sweep the best-of-three final.  Game 3 (if necessary) will  be on Sunday, June 28 at 2 p.m. at Sullivan Park.

Published in the June 26, 2015 edition.