Raiders win E-Mass, fall just short of state title

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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor

Wellesley High School’s phenomenal run through the 2017 MIAA Division I State Baseball Tournament came to an end on Saturday at Fitton Field in Worcester, as the No. 13 seed and Eastern Mass champ Raiders fell to Western Mass champ Taconic High School (Pittsfield) 5-1 in the state finals.

The Raiders won their way to Holy Cross via wins over No. 4 Mansfield (3-2) in round one, No. 5 Barnstable (5-1) in the quarterfinals, No. 8 Durfee (7-6, nine innings) in the South semifinals, and 3-1 over No. 3 Bridgewater Raynham in the South Sectional championship game. The Raiders continued their playoff magic in the state semifinals against Lowell last Tuesday night at Frasier Field in Lynn, downing the North Sectional champs 1-0 thanks to a dominant 10-strikeout shutout by sophomore staff ace Henry Weycker, propelling this band of gritty and resilient Raiders into Saturday’s state final.

Leadoff man John Ciolfi wore a pitch on the brim of his helmet to begin the game for Wellesley. Brendan Dolan then drew a five-pitch walk to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Henry Weycker cracked a single to left but the rapid speed of the ball entering the outfield forced Ciolfi to hold up at third, loading the bases. Following a Jack Waisel strikeout, junior Colin Blasco plated Ciolfi from third on a sacrifice fly to right, giving Wellesley the 1-0 lead and putting runners at the corners with two away. A fly out to center ended the inning.

Taconic responded quickly in the bottom of the first, hitting back-to-back doubles to the fence out in center to tie the game at one. A strong cutoff throw by Isaac Weycker nabbed the Taconic runner attempting to extend the RBI double into a triple for the first out of the inning. Taconic was then able to put a runner at second following an error in the infield and a passed ball to the backstop. Henry Weycker performed one of his signature pick-off plays with brother Isaac at short, nabbing the runner at second for the second out of the inning. Weycker then struck out the next batter he faced to limit the damage to a single run and get Wellesley to the second knotted at one with Taconic.

Wellesley was sent down in order in their half of the second. Weycker K’d the first man he faced in the bottom of the second, but another error put a man at second with one away. A groundout to Matt Maiona at second advanced the Taconic runner to third with two down, but a fly out to Dolan in right field put an end to the inning.

The Raiders were again sent down in order in the top of the third. Weycker was able to wiggle his way out of a first and third one-out jam in the bottom half, getting a fielder’s choice to Kai Grocki at third and a groundout to Max Guiffre at first to end the inning still tied at one.

Henry Weycker led off the Welleley half of the fourth with a single to center. A pop out to third brought up Colin Blasco with one on and one out. Blasco hit a groundball to short on a hit-and-run attempt, putting Weycker at second with two away. A groundout to second left Weycker stranded at second and the game still tied at one. Weycker got the Taconic leadoff man to pop to short to begin the home half of the fourth, followed by a groundout to Maiona at second. A double to the center field fence put a man at second with two away, but a fly out to Ciolfi in center put an end to the inning.

The Raiders were sent down in order all via hard-hit ground-outs in the top of the fifth. Taconic finally broke the tie in the bottom half, as a single followed by a double and another single gave the Braves a 3-1 lead with one out following a fielder’s choice at second. Freshman Max Zajec came on in relief for Michael Kenney and delivered a pair of strikeouts to get Wellesley out of the inning with the damage limited at just two.

Wellesley was able to put runners at first and second in the top of the sixth thanks to a single by Brendan Dolan and a walk by Jack Waisel, but were unable to bring them home after a fly to right ended the inning. Taconic added two more in the bottom of the sixth to enter the seventh with a four-run lead at 5-1.

The Raiders threw the rally caps on in the top of the seventh with their backs against the wall. Isaac Weycker and Matt Maiona began the seventh with back-to-back singles, putting runners at first and second with nobody out. Back-to-back strikeouts then left the runners at first and second with two away. John Ciolfi ripped a groundball into the hole between short and third, but the ball was knocked down by the Taconic shortstop and fired to second for the force on a bang-bang play for the title-clinching out.

Congratulations to the Wellesley Raiders on an incredible postseason run.