ITEM FILE PHOTO
Matt Costanza scored a late run for St. Mary’s on Saturday.
By SCOT COOPER
LYNN — Not much went right Saturday for St. Mary’s baseball team, including the weather, in a soggy 9-4 loss to Wakefield at Fraser Field.
Wakefield’s Corey Imbriano pitched a solid game after a shaky first inning. But the home team really did itself in, committing five errors that led to five unearned Warrior runs.
Wakefield jumped ahead, 2-0 in the top of the first, aided by rain that made it difficult for Spartan starter Tommy Cash, and the infielders, to get the ball on target. St. Mary’s took advantage of the conditions in the bottom of the inning and scored three times to take its only lead of the game, 3-2.
Antonio Felix scored on a Wakefield miscue to put St. Mary’s on the board. Donnie Weisse followed with a RBI single. Weisse came in with the go-ahead run on a shot to right for a hit by Ryan Turenne.
Imbriano settled down and allowed just one hit, a single in the fourth by Dan Hennessey, until he was lifted in favor of Adam Chawley in the fifth. There was a big gap in the game, a 40-minute rain delay with St. Mary’s batting in the bottom of the second, and the game tied 3-3.
Imbriano and the Warriors took control of the game after the interruption, outscoring St. Mary’s 6-1, over the final five innings.
Chawley gave up a single in the bottom of the seventh to Tyler Donovan that brought Matt Costanza home. But it was too late for the home team. Chawley picked up two strikeouts in the last half inning, and that was it for the Spartans.
St. Mary’s coach Derek Dana said that Saturday’s loss was an uncharacteristic game for the team. His club made too many mistakes in the field, at the plate and on the base paths.
“Today was tough,” he said “I really can’t think of a time when we got outcompeted and out-played in every phase of the game, that is usually not the case with this team. In every phase of the game, base-running, fielding, pitching, throwing, catching, competitiveness, we were lacking today.” Wakefield coach Keith Forbes was glad to see his pitcher, and his team, settle down after a mistake-filled first inning.
“It certainly was tough out there to start for both teams,” he said. “I’m glad the weather cleared up, you’d hate to have a game decided between two very good teams because of the weather and a wet field. We’ve played St. Mary’s several times over the last few years, they always have a great team, so we’re glad to come out of here with a win today.”
After opening the season with four wins, the Spartans dropped their second straight to fall to 4-2, the Warriors improved to 5-1.
