BY GENE NARDI
The Wellington High School varsity baseball team hosted Royal Palm Beach High School on Friday, April 1 in a district match-up and held on to a 2-1 lead after a fourth-inning rally for the win.
The score mirrored an earlier season meeting between the rival teams with the Wolverines edging Royal Palm Beach 2-1.
Royal Palm Beach carved out the first score of the game in the top of the fourth. Prior to the Wildcats taking the lead, the game was an impressive defensive display by both teams.
The first inning showcased a classic double play. Wildcat third baseman Zachary Retzler snagged a line drive, then threw to second to notch the two outs.
The Wildcats’ one-run lead sparked the Wolverines. Wellington (13-6) responded in the bottom of the fourth inning with two runs. Kyle Black hit a two-run single when he ripped a line drive deep down the third-base line, sending in two runners for the Wolverines’ 2-1 advantage.
From there, the game turned even more defense with precision pitching by Wellington’s Ryan Stark and Royal Palm Beach’s Logan Pittman. The two made it difficult for batters to connect with the ball, and when they did, the infield closed in and made big plays.
The Wolverines, however, had done just enough in the bottom of the fourth inning to carry them the remainder of the game to close out the contest with the 2-1 victory.
Wellington improved to 13-6 on the season, while the Wildcats fell to 7-12. Royal Palm Beach hosted Palm Beach Gardens High School and the Benjamin School, while Wellington played South Fork and John I. Leonard high schools this week, but results were not available by press time.
ABOVE: Wellington pitcher Ryan Stark gets ready to throw.
