Melrose – The Lexington Blue Sox won their fourth consecutive, 10th in the last 12 years, and 14th overall Intercity League Championship with an 8-0 win over Watertown Sunday night at Morelli Field.

Lexington broke the game open in the second inning scoring five runs on six hits. Ross Curley singled to drive in Richie Burgos with the first run. After Thomas Russon was hit by a pitch, Dom Zaher doubled to left center to plate both runners. Aaron Barbosa singled to score Zaher. Jeff Vigurs singled and Taylor Ferguson completed the scoring with an RBI single and it was 5-0 Sox.

The Reds had six hits in the first two innings, but could not drive home a run. In the first they had four hits, but had two runners thrown out on the bases. Logan Gillis singled with one out and with Will Brennan at the plate was caught stealing 1-3-6 for the second out. Brennan, Mike Samko, and Dan Chaisson had consecutive singles, with Brennan thrown out at home by left fielder Zaher to end the inning.

Watertown loaded the bases in the second and fourth innings, both times with two outs and was not able to produce a run. Including the last out of the fourth Sox pitchers retired 10 of the last 11 Reds batters.

Ferguson added the final three runs with his first career postseason home run. He drove the ball deep to left center and scoring ahead of him were Zaher (walk) and Barbosa (single).

Alsis Herrea started for the Blue Sox and pitched five shutout  innings, scattered nine hits, walked two and struck out three. He earned his second win of the postseason. Borja Jones-Berasaluce made his third appearance of the postseason and pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning. Manny Delcarmen closed out the game for the Sox and struck out the final two batters to bring home the title.

Lexington saved its biggest offensive output of the playoffs for the final game. The eight runs, 11 hits, eight RBI were all postseason highs for the Sox. This was the third shutout pitched by Blue Sox hurlers, which ties the team record for most postseason shutouts, also done in 2016 and 2013.

Once again another Intercity League season has come to a close. As the lights are turned off for the final time at Morelli Field the Intercity League players and teams would like to thank all of the fans for their support this season. They hope you enjoyed another season of Intercity League baseball and look forward to seeing you again in 2019.

By Bruce Hack, ICL correspondent

PLAY-IN GAME
Andre Chiefs 12, Melrose Americans 3

FIRST ROUND (Best of Three)
#6 ANDRE CHIEFS VS. #3 WATERTOWN REDS
G1-Watertown Reds 6, Andre Chiefs 3
G2-Watertown Reds 10, Andre Chiefs 3
(Watertown Reds Win Series  2-0)

#5 READING BULLDOGS VS. #4 ALIBRANDIS
G1-Reading Bulldogs 6, Alibrandis 0
G2-Alibrandis 5, Reading Bulldogs 2
G3-Alibrandis 7, Reading Bulldogs 3
(Alibrandis Win Series 2-1)

SEMI-FINALS (Best of Five)
#4 ALIBRANDIS VS. #1 LEXINGTON BLUE SOX
G1- Alibrandis 5, Lexington Blue Sox 2
G2- Lexington Blue Sox 6, Alibrandis 0
G3- Alibrandis 2, Lexington Blue Sox 1
G4- Lexington Blue Sox 3, Alibrandis 2
G5- Lexington Blue Sox 1, Alibrandis 0
(Lexington Blue Sox Win Series, 3-2)

#3 WATERTOWN REDS VS. #2 WAKEFIELD MERCHANTS
G1- Wakefield Merchants 7, Watertown Reds 5
G2- Watertown Reds 16, Wakefield Merchants 3
G3- Watertown Reds 4, Wakefield Merchants 3
G4- Watertown Reds 13, Wakefield Merchants 0
(Watertown Reds Win Series, 3-1)

ICL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (Best of Five)
#3 WATERTOWN REDS VS #1 LEXINGTON BLUE SOX
G1- Lexington Blue Sox 4, Watertown Reds 3
G2- Lexington Blue Sox 6, Watertown Reds 1
G3- Lexington Blue Sox 8, Watertown Reds 0
(Lexington Blue Sox Win Series, 3-0)

Melrose – Lexington’s offense used timely hitting, productive at bats, and walks to put together a 6-1 win over Watertown in game two of the Intercity League finals Friday night.

For the second straight game the Blue Sox scored in the first inning. This time they did it with out getting a hit. Reds starter Nate Beck walked Dom Zaher and Jeff Vigurs on nine pitches. Beck’s second wild pitch of the inning put Zaher and Vigurs on second and third with no outs. Taylor Ferguson grounded out to second, but Zaher, the hero of game one, came home with the Sox first run. Richie Burgos received the third walk of the inning to put runners on the corners with one out. Dorian Rojas followed with a fly ball to center that was deep enough to score Vigurs for the 2-0 lead.

Lexington added two more runs in the third and this time had three hits in the inning, its first hits of the game. Zaher, walked for the second of his three walks on the night and Vigurs reached on a bunt single. Zaher saw third base uncovered as the third baseman, Dan Chaisson, had tried to field the bunt and was now on the first base side of the pitchers mound. Chaisson threw to third and shortstop Will Brennan, who had raced over to cover the bag, made the catch and tag to get Zaher for the first out. Ferguson singled through the left side to put runners on the corners. Burgos followed with an RBI single to left, scoring Vigurs with his second run of the game and Ferguson went to third. For the second time in the game Rojas made an out, but drives in a run. This one gives the Sox a 4-0 lead.

Meanwhile Blue Sox starter Mike Geanellis had faced one batter over the limit through the first three innings and had not allowed a base hit. The Reds first hit came in the fourth when Ben Johnston reached on an infield single, his fourth hit of the finals. Geanellis retired the three, four, and five hitters for the Reds to strand Johnston.

Watertown finally got on the board in the fifth. Jake Miller singled up the middle for the Reds second hit. Sean Callahan followed with a double to right and the Reds had runners at second and third with no outs. After the first out, Steve Tramontozzi grounded out to third scoring Miller with the Reds lone run. Callahan was the last Reds base runner as Geanellis set down the final nine batters to end the game.

In his second postseason start Geanellis, 1-1, tossed a complete game three-hitter throwing only 82 pitches. He had three 1-2-3 innings and had command of all four of his pitches and was throwing everything for strikes.

Lexington added single runs in the fourth and sixth innings. In the fourth Ross Curley reached on an error. He moved to third on a walk and a wild pitch and scored on Zaher’s sacrifice fly. In the sixth Curley walked was sacrificed to second and scored on an RBI single by Vigurs, his second hit of the game and fifth in the first two games of the finals.

Reds starter Beck, 0-1, pitched six innings, giving up four hits, six runs, five earned, walked seven and struck out three. Only three of the walks allowed scored.

Game three will be Sunday evening at Morelli with an 8:00 p.m. start.

• By Bruce Hack, ICL correspondent

Lexington – The Lexington Blue Sox squeezed home the go-ahead run in the fifth inning and then held on for the 1-0 win over Alibrandis. With the win the Blue Sox advance to the Intercity League finals where they will play the Watertown Reds in a best of five series that will begin Thursday night at Melrose’s Morelli Field.

Aaron Barbosa lead off the fifth with a bunt that was fielded by Alibrandis pitcher Lamarre Rey who bounced his throw past first baseman Gordie Gronkowski and into right field. Barbosa motored all the way around to third base on the error. After an infield out Taylor Ferguson laid down a suicide squeeze bunt that Rey attempted to push to catcher Teddy Dziuba, but the ball went over Dziuba’s head and Barbosa slid home for a 1-0 lead. Ferguson took second on the error.  Ferguson stole third during Richie Burgos at bat, which ended in a strikeout. A walk to Dorian Rojas put Sox runners on the corners, but there would be no more scoring.

Lexington starter Tony Annino pitched six shutout innings for the win, his first of the postseason. He scattered seven hits, walked one and struck out five and pitched out of trouble all game.

The Alibrandis had at least one base runner in every inning but the seventh. In the second they loaded the bases with no outs on singles by Bobby Barrett and Jamill Moquette sandwiched around a walk to Gronkowski. Annino struck out Matt Hendrickson, got Mark Addesa on foul pop up to catcher John Puttress and got Juan Parra on a fly out to left to get out of the jam. In the third, again with no outs, Alibrandis had runners at the corners on a double by Mike Maguire and an infield single by Dziuba. A fielder’s choice on an infield pop up, a strike out and and fly out to center ended that threat. No other Alibrandis runner reached third after the third. The visitors left a runner at second base in the fourth and fifth innings and a runner at first in sixth. In the five games the Alibrandis left 39 runners on base.

Manny Delcarmen came in to pitch the seventh and recorded his second straight save with a 1-2-3 inning, the only one of the game for either team.

The Blue Sox had one hit through the first five innings, a Morgan Brown single in the first, but had left eight runners on base. The Sox had four walks, a hit batter and a batter reached on an error, but could only score the one run.  They stranded a runners at second and third in the first, first and second in the second, at second in the fourth and second and third in the sixth.

Dom Zaher and John Puttress had singles in the sixth to put runners at first and second. They each moved up on an infield out, but the Sox could not add to their 1-0 lead.

In a series that was grindier then grindy the teams combined for 22 runs and the last three games were all decided by a run. The three one-run games is tied for the most one-run games in a ICL playoff series since 2006. The teams combined to leave 84 base runners stranded, 45 by Lexington. After the first game, a 5-2 Alibrandis victory, runs were hard to come by. Lexington scored 11 runs over the last four games, while the Alibrandis scored four runs. Alibrandis scored in three of the last 28 innings played and were shutout twice by Blue Sox hurlers. The Sox scored in six of their last 27 innings played.

– Bruce Hack ICL correspondent

Malden – Lexington took a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth and hung on for a 3-2 win to send the semifinal series to a game five Tuesday night in Lexington.

Scoring first for the third straight game, the Blue Sox plated two runs in the second inning, the first time either team scored before the fourth inning in the series. With one out Richie Burgos and Julian Alvarez each singled to start the rally. Ross Curley reached on a fielders’ choice, but all runners were safe due to an Alibrandis error. Dom Zaher followed with his fourth straight hit, and third RBI single to give the Sox a 1-0 lead. After the second out, Morgan Brown walked with the bases loaded to make it 2-0 Lexington.

The Sox made it 3-0 in the fourth when Zaher had his fifth consecutive single to start the inning. An infield out moved him to second and he scored from there on a double by Brown for his second RBI of the game and sixth of the series.

Alibrandis got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. A walk to Teddy Dziuba and fielder’s choices by David Lightbody and Bobby Barrett left the Alibrandis with two outs and Barrett on third due to an error by the Sox. Barrett scored on a second Blue Sox error and it was 3-1.

The home squad came right back in the fourth and with two outs Juan Parra walked. Parra stole second during Mike Maguires’ at bat, but then Maguire worked a work to put runners on first and second. Dziuba came through with a single to center that scored Parra, with his fifth RBI of the series, and it was 3-2 Lexington. Sox starter Alsis Herrera was lifted and Manny Delcarmen came in from the bullpen. Lightbody lifted a fly ball into right center and Sox right fielder Aaron Barbosa made a diving catch to end the rally and the inning.

Delcarmen gave up a single in the sixth and a walk in the seventh, but retired three batters on strike outs including Dziuba to end the game.

Herrera, made his second start of the series and pitched 4 2/3 innings. The lefty allowed three hits, two runs, one earned, walked four, and struck out five to even his record to 1-1. Delcarmen picked up his first save of the playoffs.

For Alibrandis, starter Sean Sullivan pitched a complete game, giving up 10 hits, the most by a team in the series. He struck out six and walked one, the least by a Alibrandis pitcher in the series.

The winner of game five will advance to the finals where Watertown awaits after defeating Wakefield 13-0 tonight to take that series 3-1.

Game five is Tuesday night in Lexington with an 8:00 pm start.

– Bruce Hack, ICL correspondent