Seventh-Inning Rally Seals Improbable WMHS Comeback

It didn’t look good for the boys’ baseball team.

The Tanners were trailing visiting Wakefield 7-2 Wednesday heading into the bottom half of the seventh inning, and Wakefield pitcher Dan Cardillo had only given up one hit, a bunt in the third inning, since he entered the game in the second.

Then again, looks aren’t everything.

Nine straight Tanners would reach safely to start the inning, as the home team defeated the visitors 8-7 before they could record an out.

“They haven’t given up all year,” Woburn coach Wayne Pandolph said of his players, “and it finally paid off.”

With the game tied 7-7 and the bases loaded, Woburn catcher Joe Burnham hit a gap shot to right-center field for the game-winning walk-off. He was mobbed by his teammates at first base after teammate Corey O’Neil touched home.

Although Cardillo had only given up one hit, he had walked four batters and hit another, so Pandolph told his players to be patient at the plate.

Woburn’s Nick Pineau led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk, then first baseman Steve Cain singled and right fielder Bobby Campbell walked to load the bases. Cardillo was then pulled in favor of right-hander Brendan DeLeire.

Woburn shortstop Billy Cuozzo hit a dribbler off DeLeire to score Pineau, and then left fielder John DiRienzo walked to score Cain.

Next up, O’Neil and center fielder Brandon Daughtrey reached on groundball errors to put two more across, before third baseman Joe Connors brought the tying run home on a single.

Wakefield took an early 3-0 lead, with Joe Barto and Connor O’Brien getting RBI in the first, Nick Calderon in the second.

Woburn got two back in the second, as Campbell scored on a wild pitch and O’Neil hit an RBI double to knock Wakefield starter Matt Riley out of the game.

Wakefield extended its lead to 7-2 with an RBI triple from center fielder Matt Rey in the fourth, a home run by Mike Cannata in the sixth and a two-run double by Cannata in the seventh.

Pineau got the start for Woburn and gave up five runs over six innings. Ryan Glavin came in for the seventh and ended up picking up the unlikely win.

The win puts Woburn (4-10) in a tie with Wakefield (4-10) for seventh in the Middlesex League.

Woburn will try to keep the magic alive at home against Watertown at 3:45 p.m. Friday. Wakefield will look to bounce back at 3:45 p.m. Friday at home against Winchester.