Weekly sports roundup, July 1-8

With the summer hitting its stride temperature-wise last week, local sports teams hope to be doing likewise as their seasons enter the home stretch. With many leagues and teams in action around town, there was no shortage of sports action in Wakefield last week, despite the holiday festivities.

Here’s a look at how the locals fared.

Intercity League Baseball

The Wakefield Merchants had a big week, as they kept pace with the Lexington BlueSox at the top of the league standings, and won three times in three attempts last week. The Merchants are 10-3 and level in the loss column with the BlueSox.

Wakefield began the week with a 10-2 thumping of the Reading Bulldogs at Reading High on July 5. Stephen Cool (2-0) took the ball for manager Dave Ellegood, and held the Bulldogs batsmen in check, allowing four hits over six innings of work, while striking out six to pick up the win. The offense was led by Scott Searles (2-for-5, 3 RBIs), Lorenzo Papa (2 RBIs) and Mike Sorrentino (3-for-5, RBI). Joe Papa, Andy Hartung and John Davison all added RBIs for the Merchants, who posted 13 hits during the game.

The Merchants welcomed the Mooney Dental Tanners of Woburn to Walsh Field on July 6, and pulled off a dramatic come-from-behind win at the last possible moment, as Stoneham brothers Lorenzo (3-for-4, 2 RBIs) and Joe Papa (2-for-4, RBI) combined to drive in three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure a 3-2 walk-off win. Jarrod Marchesi (2-2) struck out 11 over seven innings to pick up the win, and Brooks Townsend was 2-for-4 at the plate.

The next opponent on the docket for Wakefield was the Testa Corp. Bombers on July 8. The Bombers came into the game with some momentum after winning four of their last five, but the Merchants were able to pick up a nice 4-2 road victory, as Conar Mahon picked up his first ever ICL victory. Mahon worked seven innings, surrendering just three hits while fanning seven. Sorrentino, Hartung and Davison all picked up RBIs for the Merchants during the win.

Wakefield faces a pivotal showdown with Lexington on July 10 at Walsh Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:30.

American Legion Baseball

Having lost four out of its last five games heading into last week, Wakefield Post 63 emerged as owners of a three-game winning streak after winning all three of its scheduled games. Wakefield is now 6-6 and currently in second place in District 5C with 12 points.

Wakefield won its first game of the week, on July 5, without ever swinging a bat in anger, as Malden was forced to forfeit. 

On July 7, Post 63 faced off against Medford Post 45 at Playstead Park, and grabbed a 5-2 win behind a solid outing from Dylan Dennis (Malden Catholic). The righthander went seven innings, allowing four hits and striking out eight to pick up the win. Tyler McGrail (2-for-3, RBI) and Paul Ardizzoni (2-for-2, RBI) led the offense, while Brett Barbati and Peter Franchi chipped in with an RBI each.

The week ended with a trip to Trum Field in Somerville, and Post 63 took care of business there as well.

 Little League

The Dodgers completed back-to-back Senior League Town Series Championships in softball, nipping the Diamondbacks, 3-2, in the final. Hannah D’Arco took to the circle for the Dodgers, opposing Amanda Boulter.

Miriam Wood scored the game’s first run in the top of the fourth, giving the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead. The Dodgers responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. Marissa Wardwell led off with a well-executed bunt, and Bailey Finocchio and Jenna Cooney notched back-to-back hits. Danielle Laurina added another run for the Dodgers in the fifth. Boulter got one back for the Diamondbacks in the sixth, and D’Arco was able to induce a pop up for the game’s final out with the tying run at second.

Babe Ruth

The 13-year-old Babe Ruth All-Stars won a pair of games this week, both by convincing margins.

Wakefield blasted Revere, 10-4, on July 5, behind solid pitching from the trio of Jon Miller, Andrew Patti and Jack Brown. Offensively, it was a total team effort as hits came from up and down the lineup. 

Facing Peabody on July 7, Wakefield grabbed a 7-4 win thanks to Miller (3 hits, 2 RBIs) and Matt Smith, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the fifth and broke a 4-4 tie with a bases-clearing double over the head of the centerfielder to plate the game’s winning runs.

Eastern Basketball Summer League

The Wakefield Xplosion, playing in the girls entering ninth grade division, picked up its second win of the year on July 7, with a 25-15 win over Marblehead. The Xplosion will face Peabody on July 11 at Endicott College.

In the girls entering eighth grade first circuit, the Wakefield Warriors dropped a gut-wrenching 26-25 contest to the Wildcatz at Beverly High on July 7. In the entering eighth grade second division, the Wakefield Hawks picked up a 27-24 win over MA Hoop Elite on July 7 at Beverly High.

The boys entering ninth grade Wakefield team picked up a 44-35 win over Masco on July 6, while the boys entering eighth grade team picked up a 60-44 win the same day.

Lake Q 5K

The weekly Mystic Runners Lake Q 5K road race around Lake Quannapowitt was held on July 6, and Stoneham’s Brian Daley pulled down the top spot with a time of 19.09. Wakefield resident Sean Akell was close behind at 19.15, followed by Melrosian Mike Urquiola at 19.59. Dennis Daly was fourth at 22.06 and Dan McCormack rounded out the top five with a time of 22.28.

Wakefield resident Pat Dooling placed seventh at 22.48, while Jamie Carlton, also of Wakefield, took 11th place at 24.54. Beth Picardi was 16th at 27.50 and Bob Haas was 17th with a time of 27.53. Both are from Wakefield.

Hockey

Wakefield High's Brett Buckley, a key member of the Warriors squad that made it all the way to the MIAA state final this year, netted a goal for Northeast in the opener of the Bay State Games Ice Hockey tournament on July 7. Northeast beat West, 5-1, in the team's first game of the day. Game number two saw Kevin Doherty, another integral piece of Wakefield High's Division 2 North Championship team, bagged a brace as Northeast downed Southeast, 5-2. Northeast beat Metro, 3-2, on day two, July 8, but no Wakefield residents figured in the scoring. Northeast is a perfect 3-0 so far.