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Since we last checked-in with the Winchester High baseball team, they were perfect after four games. After that, it was pretty much more of the same with a couple of losses thrown-in to keep them honest.
Their record is an impressive 10-2 after last Friday night’s (May 1) shellacking of Lexington, 12-2. Revenge was on their minds in this game after the Minutemen defeated them, 8-5 on April 22.
“I’m never going to complain about being 10-2,” said Coach Ed McDoneld. “There was the loss against Lexington, which we should have had, and the great 2-1 game against Reading that could have gone either way. But overall, we have had consistent starting pitching and a lot of timely hits in critical moments, which helped produce our 10 wins.”
Nick Penicaud (8 hits, 0 walks, 2 runs, 6 strikeouts) pitched the first five innings to help secure the win against the Minutemen.
As it turned out, Harrison Burbine closed out the game in the sixth, whiffing two of the three batters he faced in that inning. He didn’t have to pitch the seventh, because the offense sealed the deal with six runs in the home half of the sixth, which invoked the mercy rule.
Leadoff hitter Brendan Bock was one of the offensive leaders with two singles and a homerun that altogether produced three RBI. Mitchell Collins, who hits right behind Bock, collected three singles and two RBI. Both players ended up getting half of the team’s 12 hits in this game.
Brady Ihrig picked up a couple of singles and an RBI, and also scored once. Ronan O’Connell doubled, and scored a run. Adam Fiorentino singled in two. Designated hitter Nolan Gannon drove home a run with a single.
Summing up the games prior to the Lexington rematch, the Red & Black defeated Medford (12-6, April 11), Woburn (3-2, April 14), Melrose (15-8, April 16), Belmont (3-2, April 27) and Wakefield (4-1, April 29). Besides the loss to Lexington, Reading narrowly beat the local nine, 2-1 on April 24.
Against host Medford, Stephen McCabe (5 hits, 1 walk, 4 runs, 5 strikeouts) pitched the first five innings, before Nathan Wan (2 innings, 2 hits, 3 walks, 2 runs, 1 earned, 1 strikeout) finished up.
The Mustangs were leading, 3-1 until the visitors exploded for eight runs in the fifth to seal the deal for all intents and purposes. Brett Daniels, Owen Penicaud (2 RBI) and Burbine (2 RBI) helped power the attack with one double apiece.
Altogether, the Red & Black collected nine hits. Bock singled in two. Noah Seitz, his replacement at third base, drove home another run with a base hit, along with Collins. Ihrig accounted for a two-run single.
The Woburn Tanners enjoyed a 2-0 lead early, but that disappeared in the home half of the fourth, when the Red & Black tied up the proceedings, before winning it in the sixth.
Owen Penicaud (4 hits, 4 walks, 2 runs, 3 strikeouts) pitched the first six innings to secure the win, before being relived by brother Nick, who spun a scoreless seventh to record the save.
The offense was powered by Daniels, whose two-run homer got his teammates back into it. Nick Penicaud had two singles, the last of which resulted in the game-winning run.
Coming into the Belmont game on a two-game losing skid, the Winchester boys staged another comeback to beat the host Marauders with two in the sixth.
Burbine (5 hits, 2 walks, 2 runs, none earned, 2 strikeouts) pitched the first four innings. Fiorentino (1 hit, 1 walk, 0 runs, 2 strikeouts) tossed the final three to account for the win.
Ihrig came through with an RBI-double to account for the team’s lone extra base hit in the game. Daniels singled in a run. As a group, they finished up with five hits. Gannon also produced a run with a sacrifice fly.
“It’s been a complete team effort, with everybody in the lineup contributing,” said McDonald. “It has definitely not been any one of player carrying us to this winning record. But I’m hoping our bats will start to get (consistently) hot in the second half of the season to keep it going.”
The Red & Black are back on the diamond later today (May 5, 4:30 p.m.) to take on host Watertown. They will then wrap up this week two days later at Arlington, starting at 4:15 p.m.
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.
