By Ken Chaisson
Hometown Weekly Staff
The Walpole Timberwolves baseball team edged the Braintree Wamps, 2-1, in eight innings on Monday May 11, 2026 at the Walpole Middle School. The pitcher’s duel lasted a mere 90 minutes.
In a moment reminiscent of last year’s playoff game against Mansfield, sophomore catcher Drew Cantrell laced a single to right center to knock in junior Shane Harrington for the winning run.
This was a great high school baseball game loaded with intensity in a playoff atmosphere. The scouts in attendance were not disappointed.
Both teams started their junior aces: Luca DiGuilio for Walpole and Luke Joyce for Braintree. It was expected that runs would be at a premium which would highlight both teams’ focus on fundamentals.
The strategy started in the first inning with attempts to scratch out a run. Both teams got their leadoff runners on, moved them to second base, where they each were stranded.
Walpole broke through in the fourth with DiGuilio helping his own cause by singling in senior Ryan McDonald who singled to lead off the inning and was bunted to second.
DiGuilio never went to three balls on any batter until he inexplicably threw seven straight balls with one out in the top of the 7th. That first walk came around to score the tying run to force extras.
The Timberwolves ended the drama in the 8th when junior Shane Harrington singled to center. He was then picked off first but beat the throw to second. McDonald was intentionally walked. Then Cantrell came through with the game-ending hit to right centerfield.
DiGuilio hurled a 75-pitch-six-strikeout complete game gem. He gave up one run on two hits and two walks (one intentional).
In a game with no extra base hits by either team, Walpole made the most of their six singles, two each by Harrington and DiGuilio.
There are few baseball rivalries in Massachusetts better than Walpole (11-3) and Braintree (10-4). The teams are mirror images of each other with stellar pitching, solid defense and timely hitting. This season, Walpole is power ranked second in Division 2 and Braintree is slotted at 10th in Division 1. Both teams made the state final game in their respective divisions in 2025 with Walpole winning the D2 title.
Historically each squad has their cherished share of state titles, conference titles and Super 8 appearances. The competition between the two towns begins at an earlier age as shown by Braintree besting Walpole, 1-0, in the Massachusetts State Little League final last summer.
Braintree head coach Billy O’Connell lives in Walpole and runs a summer baseball camp at the West Street fields. He was inducted into the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in January. He graduated from Walpole High in 1988.
His co-camper is Walpole coach Chris Costello. Costello graduated from Walpole High in 1990. Both coaches played on the same Walpole high team and on multiple American Legion teams.
The 2026 season marks a return to the friendly confines of Jack Eldracher Field for Walpole after a one year hiatus to the S.M. Lorusso Complex during construction of the new Middle School.
With this win, Walpole swept the season series after winning, 9-3, earlier in the season.
