CHARLOTTE ROSSICONE sprints to first for one of her four infield singles on the day. The senior had a team-high five hits, going 5-for-5 with 3 RBI and 3 runs scored. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
MELROSE — The Wakefield High softball team wasted no time in setting the tone for their rivalry matchup against Melrose yesterday at Pine Banks Park, scoring 15 runs in the first three innings (4 in the 1st, 5 in the 2nd and 6 in the 3rd) to take a commanding 15-5 lead after three which they would ultimately close out with a final score of 18-10, improving to 6-8 on the season and completing a season sweep over their rivals.
Paige Butland (2-for-5, 2 RBI, 3R, HR) and Kathleen Gmelch (4-for-4, 3R) started the game with two singles and Kathryn Sliski (3-for-5, 3 RBI, 2R) blooped another in the infield to score Butland for the first run. Sara Nemec (2RBI, 2R) followed with a 2-RBI double which really seized momentum for the visitors. Charlotte Rossicone (5-for-5, 3RBI, 3R) later followed with a two-out knock, her first of five base hits in this one, to extend the lead to 4-0.
The Warriors kept at it in the 2nd when Jackie Sullivan (4-for-4, 3RBI, 2R) led off with a single and Butland followed with a towering shot to left field that ran all the way to the fence. Sullivan is playing in her first season with Butland but even the freshman knew that the former Middlesex League MVP and one of the fastest in the game would be hot on her heels. Allowing Sullivan to round third, Butland turned on the jets and still easily beat the throw for a 2-run homer and a 6-2 lead.
Gmelch started another rally up with a single that she stretched into a triple after an error in left. Emma Kane (2RBI, 2R) brought her home with a double Sliski’s RBI base hit made it 8-2. Rossicone’s second RBI single made it 9-2 for a comfortable lead after one-and-a-half innings.
“I thought we started the game really well,” said Wakefield head coach Chris Tolios. “Our focus was to start quick especially after the tough walk-off loss to a really good Danvers team (3-2, on Monday) where we didn’t hit the ball all that great, and we knew Melrose had their solid pitcher back who we didn’t see the first time around. So I was really proud of the girls for those first two innings where we were spraying the ball all over the field. It was a full team effort to get us going out of the gate, which is just what we needed to do.”
The Melrose bats allowed them to stay in the game, adding three runs of their own in the 2nd to make it 9-5 after two but Wakefield kept their foot on the gas, following with their biggest inning of the day in the 3rd to tack on six runs and all but run away with it.
Sullivan led off the 3rd with a single and the home team chose to walk Butland. Gmelch then walked to load the bags and a fielder’s choice off the bat of Kane scored Sullivan. Later, with two outs, consecutive walks to Nemec and Giuliana O’Neil made it 11-5 and Rossicone came through again with another RBI knock to make it 12-5. With the bases still loaded, starting pitcher Sophie Seidman helped herself with a 2-RBI base hit up the middle for a 14-5 advantage. A Sullivan RBI single pushed it to 15-5.
Seidman cruised in the bottom of the 3rd with a popup and two groundouts. She also kept the home team off the board in the 4th.
After another Sullivan RBI single in the 5th scored Rossicone, Melrose rallied in the bottom of the 5th, scoring five runs to make it 16-10.
A Sliski RBI single scored Gmelch in the 6th and Sliski took over on the mound for the final two innings, shutting out Melrose the rest of the way as the Warriors cruised to a key win.
“I thought defensively we definitely had our ups and downs as the game went on,” said Tolios. “A little too inconsistent and allowed them to hang around after we broke open that big lead early. It was just a matter of us staying focused with the task at hand and finishing what we started. End of the day though, we went onto our rival’s field and scored 18 runs and took care of business.
“It was a really good rebound win for us that can hopefully propel us into our game tomorrow afternoon.”
The Warriors will host Marblehead tomorrow at 4:15 p.m.
Wakefield was ranked 17th in the latest Div. 2 power rankings that were released yesterday.