Jed Robinson got the win, as the baseball team got the monkey off its back.
Behind Robinson’s effort, the Sachems picked up their first win of the season Friday, beating visiting Wakefield 8-3.
“It’s huge, absolutely huge,” Winchester coach Dave Blanchard said of the victory.
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Robinson, the team’s lefty ace, went the distance. He gave up three runs on nine hits, stuck out eight and walked four.
“He did a really nice job for us today,” Blanchard said of his captain.
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The Sachems (1-4) drew nine walks and two hit-by-pitches for a total of 11 free bases. The team scored three of its eight runs off bases-loaded walks or hit batters.
The Sachems jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, with one run in the first and four more in the second.
Wakefield starter Joe Barto walked Robinson with the bases loaded in the first to make it 1-0, and then with the bases loaded and no outs in the second, Barto hit Winchester center fielder Tommy Pine, putting the Sachems up 2-0.
Barto was then pulled from the game. However, a passed ball and groundout later it was 4-0, before Winchester’s Connor Steckel made it 5-0 in the second with an RBI single.
Steckel, the team’s first baseman and cleanup hitter, had three singles and two RBI in the game. He knocked in second baseman Derek DiVincenzo in the sixth inning as well.
After a scoreless third inning, Wakefield got on the board in the top of the fourth, as Joe O’Neill had an RBI single. Robinson came back in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single to bring the Sachems lead back to five, at 6-1.
Wakefield got one more in the fifth, before Steckel and left fielder Brian Conley picked up RBI in the sixth, pushing the Sachems lead to 8-2.
Wakefield reliever Dan Cardillo, who gave up four runs on seven hits and five walks after spelling Barto in the second, got an RBI in the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly to make the final 8-3.
Winchester returns to action at 10 a.m. Saturday at home against Belmont, while Wakefield (2-4) hosts Watertown at 3:45 p.m. Monday.
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