Blue Sox Bench Beats Wakefield

File "deep bench" under the already long list of reasons the Lexington Blue Sox are the favorites in the Intercity League playoffs, which get underway later this weekend.

The Blue Sox – with a lineup filled out with reserve players – beat the Wakefield Merchants 5-2 Friday night in the regular-season finale at Lexington High School.

After wrapping up first place on Thursday, Lexington manager Rick DeAngelis decided to give many of his starters the night off. Most didn't attend the finale.

The bench still got the job done.

"This is what they need to experience in order to step to the next level," DeAngelis said, "and help us in the playoffs and help get them ready for their next baseball adventure at school."

Beating the Merchants (19-13) closed out Lexington's regular season with a 24-8 record. The Blue Sox, by virtue of their No. 1 playoff seeding, will enjoy a first-round bye, while the Merchants begin postseason action against the East Boston Bombers on Sunday.

The Blue Sox bench had its fun on Friday. Four of the starting nine slots were filled by players not normally in DeAngelis' regular lineup.

"You know what, these kids, they deserve an opportunity to play," he said of the reserve players. "They come and they work just as hard as the guys that play every night."

Friday's game was the first regular center fielder and leadoff man Peter Frates missed all season.

Nearly all the reserves contributed to the win. Will Marcal went 0-for-1 with a walk and a run scored in three plate appearances. He also reached on a fielder's choice. Curt Everett walked, singled and scored, while JD Russdillo had a single and scored a run.

Regulars Ben Hewett and Eric Poling also had big nights for the Blue Sox. Hewett, filling in for Frates atop the batting order, went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and two runs scored. Poling drove in two runs with a double that bounced against the center-field fence.

Still, it took some work for Lexington to fend off the pesky Merchants.

Wakefield took a 1-0 lead on a groundout in the third inning, but Lexington pulled ahead two in the bottom of the inning. Russdillo singled and later scored on Ross Curley's single. Hewett crossed the plate on a wild pitch.

Both sides were quiet in the fourth inning before the Merchants tied the game with a run in the fifth. It took Lexington starter Matt O'Brien (five innings, eight hits, two runs, three strikeouts) wriggling out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam to prevent a big inning.

Instead that came in the bottom of the fifth in favor of the Blue Sox. They scored three runs off four hits to take the lead for good.

Hewett started the rally with a double and moved to third on Curley's sacrifice. Marcal then walked and was followed by a sacrifice fly by Nick Martinho (1-for-2, walk).

Everett singled and came all the way around on Poling's deep double.

"To see (the backups) step up and assert themselves as baseball players and as teammates is a great thing," DeAngelis said.

Seldom-used relievers Benny Barrett and Steve Hathaway went an inning each to close out Wakefield. Barrett allowed one hit and Hathaway walked a batter, but polished off a save with a strikeout to end the game.