Weekly Sports Roundup, August 1-8

The opening week of August was a relatively quiet one as far as Wakefield sports were concerned, but that’s not to say it was completely bereft of action. With the Intercity Baseball League’s regular season winding down, the Wakefield Merchants are jockeying for playoff position while some Wakefield High hockey players took part in a high-profile showcase and Lake Quannapowitt was circumnavigated several times over by local harriers.

Here’s the way it all went down.

Intercity Baseball League

The Lexington Blue Sox have won the ICL Championship seven of the last nine seasons, and appear poised to do so again. They will, however, have to continue their fine form through the postseason if they are to capture their fifth straight league title, and as any sports fan can attest: in the playoffs, anything can happen. That being said, the Wakefield Merchants are currently in a race for second place, and hoping to bag the best possible seed heading into the postseason. The Merchants (18-11-2) have one game left on the ledger, and it’s a big one. Wakefield takes on the Andre Chiefs (18-12-1) on August 7, and the winner will own second place free and clear, and be in good position to make some playoff noise in the coming weeks.

The Merchants started the week inauspiciously, losing 13-7 against the struggling Medford Americans on August 1. Dom Sorrentino (2-for-3) and Bobby Losanno (2-for-3) led the Wakefield offense with two RBIs each, while Mike Sorrentino, Andy Hartung and James Ramsey all knocked in a run as well. Mike Sorrentino also doubled twice in the losing effort. On August 3, Wakefield and the Watertown Reds played to a scoreless tie. Conor Mahon and Kevin Tidmarsh combined to hold Watertown scoreless, while Justin Forman held the Merchants attack at bay. August 4 saw Wakefield earn another draw, this time a 5-5 stalemate against the Arlington Trojans. The Merchants finally got into the win column the following day, downing the Reading Bulldogs by an 8-2 margin. Brooks Townsend was the offensive leader, as he fell maddeningly short of hitting for the cycle, needing just a mere single to accomplish the difficult feat. Townsend went 3-for-4, with two RBIs, a double, a triple and a home run. Scott Searles and Dom Sorrentino each plated a pair of runs, while John Davison and Mike Sorrentino also collected RBIs. Jarrod Marchesi (4-3) picked up the win, pitching a complete game.

Wakefield takes on the Andre Chiefs on August 7 at Tufts University. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:30.

HNIB Major Showcase

A pair of Wakefield residents laced up the skates for the Hockey Night in Boston Major Showcase back on July 28, and, in doing so, are in good company, as former NHL greats Jeremy Roenick and Brian Leetch—among many others—participated in the showcase in years past. Kevin Doherty, who helped lead the Wakefield Warriors all the way to the Division 1 state final at the TD BankNorth Garden last year, and Sean Pickens of Austin Prep. Pickens, who is entering his junior term at AP, played for the Suburban squad, while Doherty, whose 19 tallies last season was integral in the Warriors run to the Garden, skated for Middlesex/Merrimack.

Road Races

July 31 saw a pair of races held at Wakefield’s Lake Quannapowitt. The 15th annual 24-Hour Around the Lake competition was held. Here are the winners by category. The men’s overall marathon was captured by Alex Hall of Bedford, New Hampshire, who crossed the finish line 2:53.22 after setting off, while Tim Dicesare of Boston took second at 3:04.06. Edward Cody of Clifton Park, New York was third with a time of 3:04.22. The top female marathoner was Emma Shaw of Carrboro, North Carolina, who finished at 3:32.54, while Lauren Finelli of Portsmouth, New Hampshire took second at 3:33.04. Leanne Vaillancourt of Bedford, New Hampshire pulled down third at 3:35.38.

In the Ultra 12-Hour field, the top male was Arlington’s Josh Katzman, who finished at 11:36.54, while Tyngsboro’s Dean Barbera took second at 11:16.27. Mirko Andric of Boston finished third at 11:32.58. The female Ultra 12-Hour was won by Lowell’s Zona Sharfman, while Julie O’Mara of Westminster was second at 11:05.21. Gainesville, Florida native Marsha White placed third at 11:37.18.

The male Ultra 24-Hour was pulled down by Gabriel Helmlinger of Cambridge at 23:08.57, while Woburn’s Scott Traer was second at 22:14.30. Steve Sullivan of West Yarmouth was third at 23:40.13. The female Ultra 24-Hour was won by Terry McWilliams of Moorestown, New Jersey at 23:41.00, while Barbara Bell of Sudbury finished second at 23:35.31. Jacqueline Choi of Leonia, New Jersey took third at 23:35.37.

The team relay was captured by Redmen Running, who took the top spot at 23:53.04, while Elm City Crossfit was second at 23:51.19 and Seven Hills Harriers finished third at 23:52.04.

Also at Lake Q on July 31 was the sixth annual Swimsuit Classic 5K, and Woburn native Ryan Hayes took the top prize, crossing the finish at 17:42, while Billerica’s Masuzyo Mhango was second at 18:14. Joe Dussault of Chelsea was third at 18:18, and Greg Czuczman of Boston placed fourth with a time of 18:33. Jeff Ferreira of Ipswich rounded out the top five at 18:33 as well. The top female was Melissa Henry of Brookline at 18:45, with Kaitlin Sheedy of Washington, DC was right behind at 18:47.