Nick Chicos (pictured) hustles out of the box. Photo by Mike Flanagan.
By Mike Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
Rivals Westwood and Medfield met for the first-time ever in the newly founded MIBL on Monday night. Westwood's team was made up mostly of Westwood High School and Xaverian players, while the Medfield "River Rats," as their uniforms stated, was composed of almost all Medfield High players and one Dover-Sherborn player, catcher Michael Gilio.
Medfield's Max Goodman was gunned down at home attempting to tag on a fly-out to right field to end the top of the first inning, keeping the game scoreless.
Westwood's bats got to work in the bottom of the second, plating four runs. A two-RBI triple by Jimmy Bean and a single by Chris Abbatangelo to right field plated three runs, mixed around an RBI fielder's choice by Dan Delorey. Abbatangelo was thrown out at second trying to stretch his hit into a double to end the inning.
Goodman cut the deficit to 4-1 in the top of the third, running home on a wild pitch to make it a 4-1 game. Goodman cracked a double with two outs in the top of the fourth, scoring Gilio all the way from first base to make it a 4-2 game. Jimmy Bean led off the home half of the fourth with a walk, then stole second and third before coming around to score, thanks an RBI single by Dylan Perkins, making it a 5-2 game.
An RBI sac fly by Nick Chicos brought Medfield back to within two runs in the top of the fifth. Westwood responded right back in the home half, with Luke Dullea scoring on a sacrifice fly to make it a 6-3 game.
Down three runs in the top of the seventh, Medfield put together a rally. Three consecutive walks by Nick Sheehan, Ben Leonard and Ryan Murray loaded the bases. Jack Goodman drove home Sheehan with a sacrifice fly to left. Adam Cookson doubled in a run to left to make it a 6-4 game, placing runners at second and third. Sam Kornet struck out with two outs, but the ball fell in the dirt. The throw to first base was wide, allowing Murray and Cookson to come around with the tying and go-ahead runs.
Max Goodman came on in the bottom of the seventh and shut the door, inducing a fly to right, a strikeout and a groundout back to the mound. Medfield stunned Westwood and prevailed by the 7-6 final.
For funny and incisive sports analysis as well as game highlights, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter and Instagram @flano0.
