Raiders Get Solid Pitching, Beat Dedham

Wellesley starter Avery Brooks was five and two-thirds innings into his seven frames of shutout baseball, but he needed help. His offense had supplied not a single run in support of his cause, and his defense had just yielded an infield single.

That’s when Blake Dowling provided the assistance Brooks needed. Showing remarkable range, the senior shortstop darted left in pursuit of a sharp grounder hit by Dedham’s Domingo Rodriguez, snared the ball and threw out Rodriguez from the other side of the second base bag.

The Raiders (10-5, 7-3 Bay State Conference) responded to the sensational play by scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and adding runs in the seventh and eighth to beat the Marauders (7-6, 4-5 BSC), 4-0, Tuesday afternoon at Sprague Field.

“I think Blake Dowling’s play up the middle was a great play,” Brooks said. “It really got the momentum going for us, and it really turned our game around.”

“We needed a big play like that,” Wellesley coach Rob Kane added. “That’s what we’re looking for. We talked about somebody to step up: I think it was Blake Dowling that stepped up defensively, and Avery stepped up on the mound.”

Brooks was effective, if not overpowering. He struck out just three Dedham batters but gave up only two hits. After Tom Connolly walked and advanced to third base on a Matt Baron double in the first inning, Brooks didn’t let another baserunner past second.

“I give him a lot of credit,” Dedham coach Kevin Quaranto said of Brooks. “I thought he made good pitches when he had to. I thought we needed to be a little more aggressive, but I think part of that was just him. I think he was just the better pitcher on the day.”

The Marauders’ Patrick Maloney was equally strong through five innings, but he ran into trouble in the sixth.

Wellesley’s John Picking led off with a bunt single. Dan Dymecki grounded into a fielder’s choice but moved to third on a single by Kevin O’Brien. Stu Porter brought Dymecki home with a sacrifice fly to center field and O’Brien, who had stolen second, advanced another base. Then Brooks became his own advocate with a hot shot that ate up Rodriguez, Dedham’s third baseman, and scored O’Brien.

Brooks retired the side in order in the top of the seventh, then got more aid in the bottom of the inning, when Mike Ryan relieved Maloney. Brian McMahon started the rally with a one-out single and stole second. After Dowling walked, the two Wellesley baserunners pulled off a double steal. Picking followed with a perfect squeeze bunt to plate McMahon. The throw to first by Baron, the Dedham catcher, was wide and Picking reached safely. But the Marauders still recorded an out on the play when first baseman Kevin Boudrow gunned down Dowling with a return throw to the plate.

O’Brien used his speed to manufacture the last Wellesley run. He reached on a Rodriguez error, stole second, then raced home on a single up the middle by Brooks.

“We’ll run on anybody,” Kane said. “I think we average five or six stolen bases a game. It doesn’t matter who’s pitching, who’s catching, we’re gonna run. We’ve got team speed, and we utilize it. And Kevin O’Brien has to be the fastest kid in the league. We haven’t seen anybody quicker than him.”

Softball

Walpole 13, Dedham 3 (5 inn.)

Paige Keefe went 2-for-3 at the plate, and Brianna Dozier went 1-for-1 with a triple. Starter Meaghan Paton pitched three innings and took the loss for the Marauders.