ATHOL — After a tough outing against Winchendon where the team gave up 20 runs, the Chuck Stone Sinclair Jimmy Fund squad bounced back Wednesday, defeating North Leominster 15-5 in four innings at James H. Salevan Field.
The game was a makeup one after getting rained out the day before. The game was originally scheduled to take place in Leominster, but location flip-flopped with the scheduled game between the two teams on July 26 in Athol. That game will instead take place in Leominster.
Chuck Stone improved to 2-1 with the win and sit a half-game out of first place behind Winchendon (2-0).
Branden Engelke-Aiken pitched the entirety of Wednesday’s game for Chuck Stone, giving up five runs on six hits while striking out eight. Engelke-Aiken has now earned both of Chuck Stone’s wins.
Chuck Stone took a 5-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. After loading the bases on three walks to start the game, Trevor Bullock walked to score a run while Bradley Warner singled in another. Aiden Barilone and Colton Chapman both singled to make it 5-0.
North Leominster’s only response was an RBI single from Andrew Weeks to make it 5-1.
Chuck Stone put up six more runs on three singles and three walks in the second inning to go up 11-1. Warner singled in a run to put his team up by 10. He went 2-for-2 on the night, with one run. Oliver Johnson (three walks, two runs) and Engelke-Aiken (three walks, three runs) both walked and scored in the second inning.
North Leominster got to Engelke-Aiken in the third inning, scoring four runs on four hits (one double) and one walk. Chuck Stone followed that up with four more runs in the bottom half of the inning, while Engelke-Aiken struck out the side in the top of the fourth to end the game.