Photos by Ken Chaisson
By Ken Chaisson
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
For the first time since 2019, Walpole are the District 11 little league champions.
District 11 is now divided into two divisions of six teams. Walpole played Canton for one divisional title. Needham played Ashland in the other division. Needham and Walpole were victorious. Both move onto the same bracket in the Section 3 playoffs to be hosted in Sharon, MA.
After two weeks of preliminary games, Walpole and Canton met in a best 2-out-of-3 series. All final series games were held at the John F. Kennedy School’s Crawford Field in Canton.
Walpole won the first game on Sunday night July 6, 6-2.
However, Canton bounced back to claim the second game on Monday July 7, 7-5. It was a back-and-forth game with Canton jumping out to a 2-0 lead on a two run home run. Walpole then tied it up and eventually went ahead 3-2. However, Canton jumped back in front stretching the margin to 7-3 before Walpole cut the deficit to two. The result set up a winner-take-all final game on Tuesday July 8.
The consecutive games put a stress on the pitching talent on both teams. By the third game, each squad was deep into their bullpen.
In the deciding game 3, Walpole’s pen was mightier than Canton’s swords as they shutout Canton, 4-0. Joseph Wozniak, the son of former Walpole baseball alumni Adam, pitched a gem using up all of his 85 pitches until there were two outs in the 6th. Ryan Harrington relieved and got the final out.
Photos by Ken Chaisson
Second baseman Shayne Walsh turned a nifty 4-3 double play in the first frame. Walpole then threw a runner out trying to stretch a single into a double to end the inning.
It was still scoreless after two innings. A big moment in the third inning came as Canton loaded the bases with two outs with their best hitter at the plate. But Wozniak threw a ‘pea at the knees’ for a called third strike to escape any damage.
After that momentum shift, Walpole broke through with the bottom of the order getting things in motion. A James McDonald single followed by a Cam Koons double broke the ice putting Walpole up 1-0. Walsh then hit a grounder that got under the glove of the second baseman and plated two more.
Declan Sullivan knocked in Walpole’s final run in the fourth inning.
Coaches Brian Walsh, Adam Wozniak and Chris Brennan are to be congratulated for molding the boys into a championship caliber squad.
This was Walpole’s 9th district championship in the past 20 years. And their second since they combined into one team for the playoffs.
Good luck to the entire team in the Sectionals and beyond!
