An RBI by Wellington second baseman Tyler Bolleter in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted the Wolverines 6-5 over Royal Palm Beach High School on Friday, April 13. The win improved Wellington’s overall record on the season to 19-3.
Junior catcher Rhett Crosby had stolen third shortly before Bolleter stepped up to the plate, after a bunt by freshman Dawson Ball. Bolleter then launched the line drive just inside the third base line that skimmed the turf in front of the Wildcats’ left fielder.
Crosby crossed the plate for the winning run for the host Wolverines, after a game that was deadlocked through the fifth and sixth innings.
The Wildcats went up early in the top of the first, but a Wellington double play stalled Royal Palm Beach from adding to the score. Wellington’s Ricardo DelRio sent a ball deep into center field that broke the tip of the Wildcat centerfielder’s glove and turned into a double for the Wolverines. That play gave Wellington some momentum at the plate with four hits and three runs to take the 3-1 lead into the top of the second inning.
After an earned run on an error, Royal Palm Beach’s Nick Adams hit an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3 for the Wildcats in the top of the second. Royal Palm Beach got the go-ahead run on another Wellington error to go up 4-3.
Solid defense by the Wildcats kept Wellington off the scoreboard through the third inning. The Wolverines did manage to tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Ryan Pinto belted a double to deep center field for the Wildcats, as the team seemed poised to reclaim the lead with the bases loaded midway through the fifth inning, but the Wolverine defense dug in and defended well.
Aiden Burr slid in at the plate after a Wellington bunt to lift the Wolverines up 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Royal Palm Beach catcher Nick Toney cracked a line drive through center field that resulted in a double for the Wildcats. Pinto came up big at the plate a second time for the Wildcats, hitting an RBI single to tie the game 5-5 for Royal Palm Beach.
Wellington needed big results in the bottom of the seventh. Bolleter answered the call at the plate for the Wolverines with the winning RBI to lift the Wolverines to the 6-5 win.
Royal Palm Beach fell to 8-12 on the season. The win keeps the Wolverines atop the district, unbeaten at 6-0.
