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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
After winning their respective districts in early July, the Walpole American and Wellesley North 12-year-old Williamsport All-Star teams met on Wednesday night at Ryan Field in Charlestown for their first round-robin matchup in the state sectionals. Behind a five RBI performance by Hagan Ward (three-run home run, two-RBI double), Wellesley prevailed by a final of 11-5 to move to 1-0 in pool play.
Jacob Tjaden got the start for Wellesley and Jake Preto got the nod for Walpole, and Tjaden got Wellesley out of the top of the first unscathed thanks to a pair of strikeouts. In the bottom of the first, Hagan drew first blood for Wellesley in the form of a three-run bomb off the right-center field scoreboard to give Wellesley an early 3-0 edge. Tjaden recorded two strikeouts and a groundout in the top of the second, but Preto sent down Wellesley in order in the bottom half to keep it a three-run game heading into the third.
In the top of the third, Preto smacked a two RBI double and Corey Kilroy hit Preto home on a single to left to tie the game back up at three for Walpole. The three-run barrage forced Wellesley to turn to Brennan Barlage in relief, and he delivered a clutch two-thirds of an inning. Barlage recorded a strikeout and groundout back to the mound to limit the damage at three, stranding runners at first and second and getting Wellesley out of the inning still tied.
Hagan Ward picked his team right back up in the bottom of the third, smacking a two-RBI double off the left-center field fence to give Wellesley back the lead at 5-3. Preto settled down and retired the next three batters he faced (strikeout, groundout, pop-out to first) to end the inning and leave Ward stranded at third after he advanced on the groundout.
Jonathan Mould came on to pitch in the top of the fourth for Wellesley, sending Walpole down in order to get North to the fifth still ahead 5-3. Wellesley opened up the scoring in the bottom of the inning thanks to a bases-clearing double to right field by Jacob Tjaden, plating Jake Parker, Hagan Ward, and Brennan Barlage to make it 8-3.
Wellesley added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it an 11-3 lead thanks to RBI hits by Jake Parker and Jonathan Mould. Walpole battled back in the top half of the sixth with their backs against the wall, as a two-run bomb to right-centerfield by Jack Walsh cut the deficit to 11-5 with two outs. Walpole was able to put runners on first and second following the Walsh homer, but Wellesley was able to close out the game with a fly out to center and prevail by a final of 11-5.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0, or read his blog at www.flannylive.wordpress.com.
