The Walpole High baseball team continues to flash the leather as right fielder Sam Murray made a diving grab off the bat of Sean Galligan for the game’s final out with the tying run on second base to preserve as the Rebels held off Weymouth, 4-3, yesterday at Eldracher Field.
Connor Thornton and Andrew Carleton combined on the victory with Thornton working the first seven to earn his third win of the season while Carleton saved his third game. The pair issued one walk and Carleton worked around a ninth inning error.
“He’s given us some great innings, he’ll give you a quality start two of three times,” said Walpole coach Bill Tompkins said of Thornton. “(Thornton and Carleton) are both seniors and they sat behind a good staff last year and some of it rubbed off of them and they’re doing their thing as seniors.”
Like they did on Monday, the Rebels had an answer when the Wildcats scored in the top of the first, putting three on the board in their half of the inning against Weymouth starter Brett Julien with Murray hitting an RBI single that scored Bill Hickey and Joe Cabral (2-for-4) followed on a throwing error. Joe Drinkwater followed with an RBI groundout.
The Wildcats pulled within one in the sixth, but Walpole immediately answered once again with a two-out double to left by Sonny Mastromatteo scoring Chris Ferro from first base. Mastromatteo, a sophomore second baseman, recorded his first career three-hit game.
The Rebels visit Norwood tomorrow for a game under the lights at Peter Wall Field.
The host Hillers touched up three Westwood pitchers for 13 hits and doubled up the Wolverines, handed Westwood its second straight loss, dropping them back to .500 at 8-8 overall, 8-6 in the Tri-Valley League with four games remaining.
Hopkinton (13-1, 12-1) led 7-1 after two, striking for five in the second against Ryan Walsh (2-2).
Westwood bounced back with three in the fourth and a pair in the fifth to pull within 7-6, but could not get any closer. Hopkinton countered with four in the fifth.
“They can pound the ball, they’re relentless,” said Wolverines coach Brian Whalen.
John Sheehan went 3-for-4 and scored twice while Jason Sementelli was 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Casey Criss scored and knocked in a run.
Westwood will look to snap it’s two-game skid this afternoon hosting Medway. The Wolverines need to win two of their final four games to qualify for the postseason.
The Marauders only managed singles from Rob Zarthar and Paul Sullivan in their loss at Newton North.
Of the seven runs Dedham starter Sam Black surrendered over 5 1/3 innings, only three were earned as the Marauders (4-13, 2-11) lost their fifth straight game.
