BY STEVE KRAUSE
So far, the Wyoma-Woburn State sectional series has been a war.
Heading into tonight’s rubber game at Wyoma’s Lynn Woods field (5:30), the two games have been slugfests. Wyoma won Saturday’s, at its home field, 11-8. And Woburn came back Sunday, at its field (Gonsalves Park) to tie the series with a 12-9 victory.
Sunday, it was a tale of big innings. Woburn scored eight runs in the bottom of the first inning, and Wyoma came right back with seven in the top of the second. According to coach Chad Wilkins, “neither team played badly. We both just got a lot of hits.”
The game was tied at 9-9 going into the bottom of the sixth, but Woburn scored three runs to account for the winning margin. Wyoma could not do anything in the top of the seventh.
Wilkins said MacKenzie Shea had a good day at the plate with a triple, and Abby Fila also hit well. Jenna Tobin, he said, played a near flawless third base.
Saturday, at Lynn Woods field, Wilkins a bit weary when it was over over the many runs both teams made.
“We know this team,” he said, referring to Woburn. “We’ve played against them, and scouted the, and that was exactly the type of game we expected. They’re a good team and they don’t quit.”
This was a back-and-forth affair, and Wyoma was the last team standing at the end.
Woburn grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning, but Wyoma quickly erased that by putting six runs up in the bottom of the inning. Shea and Katie O’Neill set the table by getting on base, and they were knocked in by Julia Nickolau and Andrea Wilkins respectively. The big blow in the inning was a two-run single by Kiara Edmonds, who later scored, along with pitcher Fila, on a two-run single by Meagan O’Brien.
Woburn leadoff hitter Corey Doherty hit a two-run single in the fourth to pull her team closer, 6-4, but Wyoma was unfazed. O’Brien and Emma Fringuelli and each delivered RBI singles in the bottom of the fourth to restore Wyoma’s four-run lead.
Once again, Woburn put up a two-spot to climb back in, and once again Wyoma restored order with a three-run sixth. Woburn had a last gasp in the top of the seventh, scoring two runs before Fila put out the fire, inducing Emma Connors to ground out to the pitcher.
12-YEAR-OLD SECTIONALS
Hopkinton 12, Wyoma 5
At Woburn Saturday, the ball didn’t bounce Wyoma’s way, said coach Jay Newhall, especially when his team made attempts to climb back into the game.
“In the second inning, we had bases loaded, and Sophia LeBert hit one that, if it had gone through, would have made things interesting. However, (Hopkinton) made a nice play on the ball.”
“We gave it our best shot,” said Newhall, giving credit to his daughter, Lily, who pitched well.
“She kept us in the game for a while,” he said.
The loss ended Wyoma’s season.
