Alex Luscher (pictured) stands in at the plate amidst a downpour during Monday night's game at Weymouth. Photo by Mike Flanagan.
By Mike Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
Between the rain, wind, time change, multiple delays, and a slippery all-turf field, it was safe to call conditions non-ideal for Monday's varsity baseball game between Needham and Weymouth High School at Libby Field.
The Rockets (7-10) traveled to Weymouth looking to pick up their second win in a row following a 4-3 victory over Natick on Friday. Despite letting a five-run lead slip away, the Needham boys were able to rally late to complete the season sweep of the Wildcats (4-13).
Senior Sam Chutkow cranked a double down the right field line on the first pitch of the game. Chutkow advanced to third on a groundout to second and later came around to score on passed ball to the backstop to draw first blood for Needham.
With the game still 1-0 in the bottom of the third, Noah Madden reached on an error before stealing second and later advancing to third on a passed ball. Madden would come around to score on a wild pitch to tie the game at one. Brooks Clark and Jacob Smith drew back-to-back walks to lead off the top of the fourth for Needham. Jack Levine wore a pitch on the arm to load the bases with no outs. Miles Hartung grounded into a 5-6-3 double-play to bring home the go-ahead run, but Weymouth was able to prevent a big inning despite the no-out, bases loaded jam.
Still 2-1 in the top of the fifth, Needham's bats exploded with four runs. Nico Schwartz and Eric Luscher drew walks to lead off the inning. An RBI single by Chutkow to right plated Schwartz to make it a 3-1 game. Clark and William Gworek drew consecutive walks to force home another run and make it a 4-1 game. A sacrifice-fly by Smith made it a 5-1 game before a passed ball to the backstop allowed Clark to make it home as Needham's sixth run.
Weymouth's offense came alive in the home half of the fifth as the Wildcats plated four runs to make it a 6-5 game. Back-to-back walks to Braidy Elwood and Gil Dolan were followed up back by-to-back RBI doubles by Jack O'Rourke and Vincent Vega.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, Schwartz belted a double into the right-centerfield gap. Schwartz came around to score on Chutkow's third hit of the day, this time a single up the middle, to make it a 7-5 game.
The Wildcats rallied once again in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at seven as a bases-clearing double by Danny Carasco brought home Madden and Dolan. However, the momentum gained by the rally was short-lived for Weymouth as Needham once again put together an offensive barrage in the top of the seventh. Clark, Levine and Hartung led off the inning with walks to load the bases with no outs. Clark scored, thanks to a low throw home on dribbler back to the mound by Jeremy Melton. Levine was forced out at home on a fielder's choice at third, but Hartung came in to score on a single to right by Schwartz. Chutkow cleared the bases with a double to right-centerfield to give the Rockets a 12-7 lead. Brooks Clark added some insurance with an RBI double down the left field line to make it a six-run lead. The Rockets shut the door in the bottom half of the inning to prevail by the 13-7 final.
For funny and incisive sports analysis as well as video highlights of games, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter and Instagram handles @flano0.
