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Can you define perfect? After four games, that’s what your Winchester High baseball team is right now, and Coach Ed McDonald naturally has few complaints.
The second-year coach has seen his club rattle off wins over Wellesley (4-0), Wilmington (11-3), Arlington (5-4) and finally Stoneham on Friday afternoon, April 10, by a score of 8-1.
“Our starting pitching – Nick Penicaud, Owen Penicaud and Stephen McCabe – has been excellent,” said McDonald, “and Harrison Burbine out of the bullpen has been lights out.”
Despite scoring 28 runs in just four games, McDonald would still like to see the offense pick up the pace, but he did say, “we have been getting timely hitting, when we needed it.”
Starting with the most current game against Stoneham, Nick Penicaud recorded his second win of the year in as many starts on the mound, yielding just one hit and four walks over 3.1-innings. They scored only one run off him, but it was unearned. He struck out two.
Adam Fiorentino followed him to the hill, and he threw zeroes across the board through 2.1-innings, while fanning four. Jack Lennon pitched the last inning, whiffing one.
The Winchester offense sprayed nine hits around Ciarcia Field, led by the power of Brett Daniels, who belted a solo shot and a double. He also walked once, and scored a run.
Brady Ihrig and Nolan Gannon each doubled in a run. Noah Harley was also credited with a double, and scored a run. Right-fielder Mitchell Collins was credited with two singles and two RBI. Brendan Bock and Owen Penicaud singled in one run apiece.
Penicaud’s other start was the home opener against non-league Wellesley on April 2. He allowed two hits and five walks in that game, while fanning four over the first five innings. Burbine went the final two, scattering three hits and one walk. He fanned three.
The offense banged out six hits. Bock led the way with a single and a double for two RBI. He also walked once. Fiorentino walked twice and singled once. Ronan O’Connell accounted for a double. Owen Penicaud singled home a run, and also scored one. Ihrig knocked in a run with a double. He also reached base safely one other time with a walk.
Following the Opening Day win, the Red & Black hit the road for Wilmington to face the Wildcats on April 6.
McCabe got the nod to start this game on the mound, and proceeded to go six innings, giving up just two hits, one walk and three runs, two earned. He ended up striking out six. Rami Flummerfelt whiffed two in the seventh to complete the blowout in style.
Collins paced the offensive attack with three singles and two RBI. He also scored twice. Gannon had two doubles and two RBI. Daniels and Fiorentino each singled twice. They also both knocked in one run apiece. Nick Penicaud doubled home a run. Ihrig had a single, and scored twice.
Winchester returned home to play host to Arlington on April 8 with Owen Penicaud on the hill for the local nine. He went four innings, issuing eight hits and four earned runs, while whiffing five. Burbine then tossed two shutdown innings, striking out three more along the way.
The Winchester boys strung together eight hits, with Bock and Fiorentino getting half of them. They each singled twice. Bock also picked up one walk, while scoring twice. Fiorentino drove home a run, and scored a run, as well. Collins had a single, two walks and scored two runs.
But Ihrig, the junior transfer, was the team’s top gun at the plate with a single and a triple to account for four big RBI.
Winchester now takes its perfect record to Medford’s Playstead Park to go up against the Mustangs later today (April 11) at 11 a.m. They will then return to Ciarcia to face Woburn Tuesday (April 14) at 4:15 p.m., before heading to Melrose’s Morelli Field two days later, where the Red Hawks will be waiting for them at the same time.
Joe McConnell is a longtime, award-winning sports editor for numerous North Shore publications. He began covering Winchester sports for the News in November 2024 and is currently its Sports Editor. He can be reached at editor@winchesternews.org.
