Reading Bulldogs

By Jeff Pierce  Daily Times Chronicle 

Wakefield (5)-  Townsend 4-0, Searles 4-2, M. Sorrentino 4-2,  Ramsey 3-1,  Papa 4-1, Orlowitz 3-1, Breen 4-2, Hartung 2-0,  Losanno 3-1, Totals 31-10

Reading (5) – Cataldo 3-1, Conti 4-1. Manzi 4-1, Talis 4-1, Taylor 4-2,  Fischer 4-1, Hartwell 2-2, Gagnon 2-1, Flutie 1-1, Castoldi 1-0, Totals 29-11 

Wakefield   101  020 1   5

Reading     300  101  0   5 

Doubles – Breen, Manzi 

TP- Maki, Mahon

Wrap: The Bulldogs came away with a disappointing 5-5 tie with Wakefield on a dark drizzly evening at Morton Field in which they lost two late game leads and were one strike away from a win in the final inning. It is essential to the Bulldogs playoff aspirations that they win two or three games in the final week of the regular season. It appeared that they had one in the books as they had leads of 3-1, 4-2 and 5-4 at different points during the game but they could not finish off the hard hitting Merchants. The Bulldogs had taken advantage of some aggressive base running and clutch hitting from Darren Hartwell (.400 BA) to take a 4-2 lead into the fifth inning. Hartwell had singled in a run in the first inning. Then in the fourth he singled and went from first to third on a hit and run single by Andy Gagnon. Doug Flutie was then thrown out on a bunt atempt but Hartwell raced home from third on a delay when he caught Wakefield napping on the play. Reading appeared to the get through the fifth with a two run cushion but on an apparent inning ending double play the runner at first was judged to have beaten the throw. The next three batters then reached successfully including a two run single from Joe Breen to tie the game at four. Reading scored the go ahead run under the darkening skies in the sixth inning when Hartwell came around to score after a lead off walk and infield hits from Bill Cataldo and Nick Conti. Bulldog reliever Dylan Maki tried to close out the win but was victimized by an infield error and passed ball which preceded Dave Orlowitz’s two out single that brought home the final run of the game. Extra innings were not an option with the lessening of daylight on the last day of July being accompanied by the dark rain clouds.   The one point for the tie helps the Bulldogs in the standings but at games end the disappointment from the opportunity lost was evident on the Bulldog bench, which had been very lively and vocal all evening.