April 13, Acton-Boxborough Regional High School baseball field: After yielding four runs in the first inning, A-B’s defense held the Waltham Hawks to just one run in the next six, allowing the home team, trailing by two, to tie it at five-all in the seventh.
Shortstop Healy led off with a walk, but was thrown out trying for third base on a hit by Evan Koh. Koh scored after advancing to second on a hit by Levi Straayer who, after reaching third on Matt Bromberg’s single, tied the game by scoring on a wild pitch.
But Waltham roared back in the eighth with three runs, on the strength of a leadoff double by Jack Tamburro, a sacrifice bunt by Eric Fiorentino, three straight walks, and a base-clearing double by Joe Leonardo. So the local nine had to play catch up once again.
After the first two hitters struck out, it was time for a two-out rally. The Revs loaded the bases with singles by Healy and Koh, and a walk by Straayer. Catcher Matt Bromberg thought it would be the perfect time to notch his fourth hit of the day, and came through with a three-run double. But the walk-off win would have to wait, as Waltham escaped with a flyout to right.
In the ninth, the Revs retired the side in order, handing the Hawks two of their seven strikeouts of the day. But then the Hawks returned the favor, fanning three A-B hitters, out of fifteen for the game, and allowing one single. And the tenth ended when the visitors got only as far as second base, after singles by Billy Champion and Brian Fleming.
Waltham dispatched the Revs 1-2-3 in the bottom frame, when they induced a popout and strikeout around Koh’s single (one of his four hits of the game) as he was caught stealing.
With the teams now playing under the lights, the Hawks’ lead-off hitter walked, and was forced out on a fielder’s choice. Eric Fiorentino hit a long ball to right, but the Rev’s Hudson Schwartz made a terrific catch with the go-ahead runner on first. The inning ended on a grounder to the pitcher.
But the Revs, hungry for their first win of the season, got down to business. After leadoff hitter Bromberg was hit by a pitch, Schwartz hit a single between two strikeouts to send Bromberg to second. The next hitter, sophomore Jacob Poretto, stepped up and laced a long single to send Bromberg charging home with the winning run.
This game was the annual Hope at Bat fundraiser for cancer patients and survivors, which the home team observed by wearing pink shirts.
AB, now 1-4, travelled to face another Dual County League opponent, Newton South, on April 15.
James Conboy is sports beat reporter for the Acton Exchange.
