THE SENIORS were honored before their 6-1 win over Wilmington at Walsh Field on Thursday. Pictured form left to right with their families are seniors Erich Hickey, Tommy Mottl, Gabe Sanders and Ryan Donald. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)
Published in the May 20, 2019 edition.
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — Everything went right for the WMHS baseball team on Senior Day Thursday.
The Warriors flew past Wilmington in one of their most efficient games of the season on their way to a 6-1 win and a 7-1 record against Freedom Division foes.
The combination of Chris Alden and Gabe Sanders allowed just three hits while the Wakefield bats were aggressive and clutch in big spots.
Even the weather had a great game, sending plenty of sun down to highlight a four-man senior class who received a terrific sendoff.
Sanders, Ryan Donald, Erich Hickey and Tommy Mottl have done a great job this year leading a team with 10 underclassmen to the top of the Freedom Division along with a good chance to make the postseason.
After the Warrior four were honored before the game with their families, Wakefield and Wilmington hit the diamond.
The Wildcats got the first run of the game when their second single of the inning turned into a double and a run after an error.
Alden got out of the frame with two fly balls.
The Wakefield offense, as they have done all season, didn’t dwell on an early mistake but went to work.
Sanders set the tone with a frozen rope base hit up the middle. Donald’s sacrifice bunt sent Sanders to second. Later, with two outs, Cal Tryder walked to load the bases. That set up sophomore Danny Hurley who came through for his seniors with a first-pitch two-RBI single that would end up giving Wakefield the lead for good.
The top of the 2nd started the Sanders show at short. He handled two groundouts in the inning and followed that up with three in a row in the 3rd including an impressive throw from deep in the hole to take over the game and shut down any potential Wilmington comeback. Sanders had seven putouts in the game.
Wakefield got some insurance in the bottom of the 2nd. Freshman Zach Kent singled and Sanders walked. Another sac bunt from Donald led to Mottl who walked to load the bases with one out.
That set up the perfect time to bring Hickey to the plate, who responded by clearing the bases with a bomb to left resulting in a three-RBI double and a 5-1 Wakefield lead.
Alden didn’t allow a hit from the 2nd to the 6th inning. He sat down 12 consecutive batters until a walk in the 6th. He got out of it by picking up his third strikeout, then got a batter to line out before receiving some help on a deep drive to center that was caught by Mike Iannuzzi for a play of the year candidate as the sophomore made a fine leaping catch while sprinting towards Farm Street.
Chris Coombs singled to start the bottom of the 6th. Jack Ryan bunted him to second and Kent sent him to third with another single. Sanders hit a sacrifice fly to make it 6-1.
Sanders then came in to close the game to make this senior day win official.
He struck out the first batter and responded to a double by striking out the final two batters looking.
The seniors will now lead Wakefield on the road and into a rematch with rival Melrose tomorrow, 7 p.m. at Morelli Field. Melrose beat Wakefield on May 1 and have a 7-5 Middlesex League record to Wakefield’s 8-6. Melrose is 5-1 in Freedom play.
