Rested Concord Holds Off Lexington Post 38

The Concord Post 158 American Legion baseball team demonstrated the difference a little rest can make. Concord returned to the field Tuesday for the first time since playing a stretch of four games in as many nights last week.

And the fresh legs paid off. Ben Price hit a first-inning grand slam and Dylan Katz-Wicks sealed the win with a solo home run in the fifth inning of a 5-4 nail-biter over Lexington Post 38 (7-4) at Emerson Playground.

"This was the absolute antithesis of what you saw on Thursday," Concord coach John Morrissey said, comparing it to Concord's last time out, a 9-2 loss to Lowell in which his team fell apart late in the game. "A 100-degree night, we didn't get let anyone get tired and we kept giving them different looks."

Putting its feet up over the holiday weekend showed immediate results for Post 158 (6-8). Katz-Wicks led the game off with a single, followed by walks to Brendan Canavan and Pete Castrichini. Price brought them all home on the first pitch he saw with a towering grand slam that cleared the fence in left-center field and landed on Everett Street.

It was the perfect start to the game following the four days off.

"It was huge, by the fourth game last week it was brutal – everybody's legs were sore, everybody was tired," said Katz-Wicks, who later deposited a home run of his own onto Everett Street. "The break, especially July 4 weekend, we got to relax, hang out with family and friends. I think it just put everybody in the mindset that summertime we're here to have fun and just come out and win ballgames."

Katz-Wicks' solo shot in the fifth inning was the third of his three hits. The 2009 Concord-Carlisle High School graduate finished 3-for-3, a triple shy of the cycle and scored two runs. He doubled in the second inning, but was left stranded on base.

Post 158's shortstop credited increased focus for his superb performance at the plate.

"Personally I think I was really tired from work earlier, and when I'm really tired I have to focus more," Katz-Wicks said. "I made it a point to focus myself. I got myself in the zone going up to the plate and I just felt good swinging the bat."

His fifth-inning homer proved to be the difference. After falling behind on the grand slam in the first inning, Lexington started to slowly chip away at Concord's cushion. The Blue Sox scored single runs in the second, third, fifth and sixth innings to keep the game interesting.

For a time it appeared a Post 38 comeback was inevitable, but the rally met a premature ending.

"We fought our way back," Lexington coach Matt Lawlor said, "but (Concord) made the plays when they had to make the plays."

Post 38 starting pitcher Matt Wentzel helped himself out by hitting a solo home run in the second inning. It was the second of the three to land on the street beyond the left-field fence.

Leadoff man Tommy McKenna singled and later scored on a Justin Silvestro groundout in the third inning, while Will Marcal sparked the visitors' dugout with an inside-the-park home run in the fifth.

Marcal, who also walked twice, smacked a Brian Ruhlman pitch to the deepest part of the park in center field. Ruhlman, a left-handed reliever, was brought in to deal with the heart of Lexington's order – which contains four lefties, including Marcal.

Lexington got its final run in the sixth inning when Nick Murray hit a double to the left field gap to score McKenna, who reached on a walk. That brought Post 38 within a run, but Concord reliever Jake Anzer shut the door on the rally by retiring the side in order in the seventh.

Chris Shaw was 3-for-4 with three singles, but was stranded each time. Lexington left a total of eight runners on base.

In all, Morrissey used four pitchers to battle the Lexington order and the 95-degree heat.

"Obviously, fatigue set in early tonight," the coach said. "Having the four off-days coming in and the two on the other side of this set up perfectly to use everybody. If ever there was a game to do it, and there aren't many in the course of a summer, this was it. Against a good team it worked in our favor tonight."

Starter Ryan Kelt lasted just 2 1/3 with two runs allowed on four hits, three strikeouts and two walks. He was followed to the mound by Brandon Napolitano (1 2/3ip, no runs on no hits and a walk) and Ruhlman (2ip, two runs, two hits and a walk). Anzer was perfect in the seventh for the save.

Wentzel went the first five innings for Lexington. He settled down after the rough first inning to scatter five hits, strike out six and walk three.

Jason Tzannes ran into some trouble in the seventh with two walks and a hit allowed, but didn't surrender a run.

"Matt Wentzel fought back, didn't give up and actually ended up pitching a pretty good game after (the grand slam)," Lawlor said. "He didn't give up and neither did the team."

Lexington returns to the field tonight at North Chelmsford, while Concord will enjoy a little more rest. Post 158 plays again Friday at Malden.