MR. MERCHANT Mike Sorrentino is back to lead a young Wakefield Merchants squad in 2018. Sorrentino had a hit and scored a run against Reading on Wednesday night at Walsh Field.  (Donna Larsson File Photo)

Published in the June 15, 2018 edition.

By DAN BYRNE

WAKEFIELD—On Wednesday night at Walsh Field, the Wakefield Merchants hosted the Reading Bulldogs in Intercity League action. The Bulldogs were 3-2-1 prior to the game, with the Merchants 2-2-1 in their first five games.

In this one, Merchants manager Dave Ellegood put the ball in Joe Maguire’s hand, as the closer for UMass-Boston got the start for his summer team. Maguire, a Peabody native, had strong stuff throughout the game, pitching a complete game (7.0 innings pitched) allowing just 5 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits, while striking out 5 and walking none.

His team came through with the bats, with a four-run 2nd inning and a two-run 3rd, providing the offense needed to claim the W.

Reading got on the board with three runs in the 3rd inning, but Wakefield managed to get one back in the bottom half. The Bulldogs also plated two in the sixth, but again the Merchants nullified one of the runs with one of their own in the bottom half of the
inning.

The Merchants struck big in the 2nd inning, but it started off innocuously enough with a leadoff groundout. Reading starting pitcher Cam Lanzilli had retired four straight with one out in the 2nd before he allowed the next six baserunners to reach. The rally would put up a four-spot on the board capped off with a Bobby Losanno RBI double.

Merchants’ shortstop and number-three hitter, Ryan Collins, went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, including a double to knock in the team’s 7th run in the 4th inning. Meanwhile, his middle infield partner Mike Manoogian went 1-for-2 with a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored from the ninth spot in the order.

Maguire had electric stuff on the hill right from the first pitch, as he sat down the first nine batters he faced. In fact, the only times where he didn’t sit the opponents down in order were the 4th and 6th innings when the Bulldogs got their five runs.

With the win, the Merchants improve to 3-2-1, and early in
the year, coach Ellegood sees many positive things from his team so far.

“It’s a good start, we lost on Sunday we tied on Monday night with these guys (Reading). These guys are a good team so tonight, Joe Maguire gutted it out for us.”

This year’s team has a bit extra to play for, as a big presence in Merchants history is absent from the sidelines this season.

“This winter we lost Les DeMarco who had run our team for 60 years,” Coach Ellegood said. “So we’re playing for him this year.”

The squad is full of talent from all over, but features some familiar faces to Waekfield natives.

“We have a good young team, a good group of guys,” Ellegood said, “There was a big turnover from last year, but I think we have a nice team building here, they’re young, and they’re all in college.”

“We have Paul McGunigle who played for Wakefield High, and Anthony Cecere,” Ellegood added. “We have a good, young team. We’re just going to have a lot of fun grinding it out.”

On the performance of his starter on Wednesday, the manager said, “Joe Maguire gutted it out. He’s the closer for them (Umass-Boston), but he’s our workhorse. That’s one thing about Joe, he doesn’t want to come out. It’s great that he’s kind of a bulldog for us.”

His team also came through at the dish.

“We got some clutch hits there, we just wanted to get the ball in play and let them play defense, so it was a good win,” Ellegood said.

The Merchants are off for the rest of this week, but have a busy schedule to start next week. On Monday, they play at Lexington against Alibrandis, then Tuesday at Bentley University against the Watertown Reds and Wednesday night against the Malden Maddogs back at Walsh Field.