Merchants Keep Bulldogs Reeling, In 10-2 Rout

Wakefield (10)-  Townsend 3-1, Searles 5-2, Sorrentino 5-3, J. Papa 4-2, L. Papa 3-1, Davison 2-0 , Hartung 3-1, Roth 3-2, Ramsey 4-1  Totals 32-12 

Reading (2) – Murphy 3-0, Cataldo 3-1, Talis 3-2, Dewing 3-1, Fischer 3-0, Gagnon 1-0, Russo 3-1, Halsey 3-0, OLeary 3-0   Totals 24-5 

Doubles – Townsend, Searles, J. Papa 

WP- Cool   LP-  Boyle

Wakefield   0040420  -10

Reading     1000100    -2

The Reading Bulldogs lost their sixth game in a row on Tuesday night at Morton Field to the Wakefield Merchants by a score of 10-2 in a run that doesn’t seem to want to bottom out. 

The Bulldogs bats were kept down by Reading native Steve Cool (2-0) for six innings, as he allowed just four hits and one earned run while striking out six. 

This night represented the first time in the streak that the pitching has not been effective as Sean Boyle, for the first time all season, was hit hard (4.1 IP, 8 R, 6 ER, and 8 hits). 

The Bulldogs looked like they were ready to finally break out the bats with three first inning singles, but any significant rally was thwarted when a caught stealing play at second base took out one of the runners. Reading did manage one run in the first on a two out wild pitch by Cool bringing home Zak Talis (2 hits). 

Boyle was breezing along until the third inning when he suffered a streak of wildness with a walk and a hit batter leading to a two RBI double by Scott Searles. That hit was followed by consecutive hits from Mike Sorrentino (3 hits) and Joe Papa, and in a flash it was 4-1, all coming with two outs. 

“The atmosphere was dead out there early tonight on both sides,” said Merchant Manager Dave Ellegood. “I told the guys the first team to put across a few runs tonight can probably put the game away. Luckily it was us.” 

“Cool pitched well, he mixed up his pitches and had some strikeouts. He has done real well for us in his first year,” added Ellegood.

The Bulldogs only had two more hits after the first inning and both were of the infield variety as their hitting woes continued.

“We need to come to the field expecting to hit and to win,” said assistant Coach Andy Gagnon. “When we get down early the negative thoughts can seep in, you can feel it out there.”

The Merchants put the game away in the fifth with four more runs fueled by Brooks Townsend (George Washington Univ.), the leading hitter in the ICL Sorrentino (.541), and Northeastern’s Jason Roth. 

“No one expected that we would have a streak like this after our 5-1 start, we need to get positive and play our way out of it starting on Wednesday night,” Gagnon said.