Published in the July 23, 2020 edition.
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — The mound at Walsh Field is in perfect condition.
Yes, the same goes for the rest of Wakefield High’s recently re-opened baseball diamond but Wakefield fans spent most of last night’s Senior Townies game fixated on the clay that pitchers Cory Sample and Colby Lee molded through a combined shutout. The two only surrendered a total of three hits in seven innings during a 1-0 win over Peabody.
Wakefield’s bats were kept mostly quiet as well until the bottom of the 5th when they got their only run on an Aidan Riley walk with the bases loaded.
Mike Iannuzzi walked to start the inning and broke for second on a hit-and-run when Timmy Connolly connected on his second base hit of the day. Iannuzzi was thrown out at home on a close play but Chris Alden kept the momentum going with a shot to left that got lost in the ivy resulting in a ground rule double. With two outs, Mikey Parent was hit by a pitch to load the bags before Riley’s RBI walk.
The Senior Townies are split into two teams this year. Varsity head coach Kevin Canty organized a schedule with Peabody, Danvers and the two Warrior teams.
Canty can’t coach due to school rules but JV coach Scott McGonagle credits Canty with giving the kids an opportunity to play at all this summer.
McGonagle’s team, who improved to 3-1 last night, didn’t get as many at-bats as they hoped due to the pitching dual, but the point is to give reps to a group whose spring season was lost. In that respect, the Townies rotate to give everyone a chance as much as possible. Those who didn’t get an at-bat last night will start the next game.
Sample got the start and tossed a no-hitter through four innings. He scattered four walks but kept the Tanner hitters off-balance and never let them find a rhythm. Sample saw four batters in the 1st inning and the 4th inning, he sat Peabody down in order in the 3rd and got out of trouble in the 2nd after two walks with two fly outs. An error got the leadoff batter on in that inning but Cal Tryder threw out the runner trying to steal second for the first out.
Lee entered in the 5th, keeping the shutout going and picking up the win. Lee forced plenty of grounders from the Peabody bats keeping a strong Wakefield infield sharp. Parent collected two of those grounders at third in the 7th inning, charging the last one and making a strong throw to end the game.
It was the third Townies game played at Walsh this summer. The two Wakefield teams scrimmaged each other on Tuesday night.
The new netting certainly cut down on the number of foul balls reaching the Dobbins Courts which was full of tennis players last night. Only one, a sharp liner chipped by a Peabody lefty made it onto the courts. The netting is 40 feet tall behind the plate and 15 feet closer to field than before.
Visibility through the netting, especially from the bleachers, was good and McGonagle said the town has done a nice job of helping the teams out, even repainting the foul lines before the game yesterday after it rained in the morning.
McGonagle’s team will host Danvers back at Walsh tomorrow night at 5:45 p.m.
