Melrose – Zach Kirby pitched a complete game three hit shutout and Middlesex won 1-0, putting the Expos are now a win away from the 2022 Intercity League Championship.
Kirby did not allow a hit after the third inning and retired 11 straight Blue Sox from the third through seventh inning before a one out walk to Cam Meyer snapped the streak.
Kirby, 2-0, struck out nine with at least one in every frame. He walked two in his 104-pitch effort. This was the second time he faced Lexington this year. He started against the Blue Sox on July 11 and lost 4-0.
Mike Golankiewicz supplied all the offense the Expos would need in the first when with two outs he hit a solo home run to left. It was his second home run of the playoffs and of the finals.
It might not have been more than a solo home run if it wasn’t for a great play by Blue Sox shortstop Morgan Brown. Brown made a great stop of Kebler Peralta’s ground ball up the middle. He flipped the ball to second basemen Ernie Little to force Idelson Taveras and Little’s strong throw to Josue Feliciano arrived just before Peralta to complete the double play.
With the Expos getting at least one hit in each inning, eight in total and receiving six walks, they had many opportunities to score more runs. Thanks to the Sox defense and pitching Middlesex left 11 runners stranded, nine in scoring position.
In the second inning the Expos had runners at second and third when Michael Oliveira hit a hard ground ball to Blue Sox third baseman Cam Meyer. Meyer fielded it cleanly and throw home as Mike Stellato broke for home on contact. Sox catcher Alex Voitik took the throw from Meyer and was waiting at home plate for Stellato for the second out of the inning.
In the third the Expos loaded the bases on a walk to Taveras, double by Peralta and walk to Golankiewicz. Blue Sox starter Eric Lopes bore down and struck out the next three batters, all looking on 11 pitches.
Middlesex left runners at second and third in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings.
In the sixth, Sox relief pitcher Zander Gilmartin, in his first inning of work, stranded Expos on second and third. With one out, a single and walk put runners on first and second. After a balk call on Gilmartin moved the runners into scoring position, he struck out the next two batters to end the threat.
Lopes pitched five innings for Lexington. He gave up six hits, one run, walked four and struck out five. None of his four walks scored. Zander Gilmartin finished the game and struck out five of the 10 batters he faced.
Game four is Thursday night at Morelli with first pitch scheduled for 7:45.

From the Stat Sheet – This is the third time Kirby has faced the Blue Sox in the playoffs. In 2019, with Andre, he started and lost the second game of the semifinals, 9-6. Last season with Middlesex he started game two of the finals and lost 6-0.
Since 2006 this is only the fourth 1-0 game for Lexington in the playoffs. In the 2013 finals Andre defeated Lexington 1-0 in game four on a 1-hitter by Jared Freni. Lexington defeated Alibrandis 1-0 in the 2018 semifinals. In the 2019 semifinals Mike Geannelis pitched 6 shutout innings for the 1-0 win over Andre.
In 232 playoff games since 2006 (current through game 3 of finals) there have been 48 shutouts or 20.69% of all playoff games. Of the 48 shutouts eight have been 1-0 games.

Written by Bruce Hack, Lexington Director of Media Relations

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(Melrose, MA) Tuesday’s game two of the ICL Championship Series has been moved to Pine Banks on the Melrose/Malden line starting at 7:45 PM.

The decision was made after this afternoon’s thunderstorm left Morelli Field unplayable.

Pine Banks is located at 1087 Main St, Malden MA 02148.

Lexington – The headline is very familiar to Blue Sox fans.
The Blue Sox defeated Melrose 6-2 to take the semifinal series 2-1 and advanced to the Intercity League finals for the 15th consecutive season.
For the second straight game it was the second and fourth innings that the Blue Sox offense put up crooked numbers.
Alex Voitik opened the second with a walk. Consecutive ground ball outs to second moved him to third with two outs. Ernie Little kept the inning alive as he beat out a ground ball to short for a hit and RBI as Voitik scored to cut the Melrose led to 2-1. Dom Zaher walked and he and Little scored on Josue Feliciano’s two-run double to left and the Blue Sox had the lead for good at 3-2.
In the fourth Matt Chatelle started the inning with a line single to center. After an out, Little bunted and Melrose pitcher Mike Peters fielded the ball and his throw sailed into right field allowing Chatelle to go to third and Little to second. Zaher grounds out to short to bring home Chatelle for a 4-2 lead. Feliciano comes through again swinging at the first pitch and singles to center scoring Little. Melrose changes pitchers and brings in game one starter Bobby Tramondozzi. He hits Julian Alvarez and walks Andrew Selima to load the bases with two outs. Cam Meyer is hit with the first pitch and Feliciano comes home with the sixth run and a 6-2 lead.
Eric Lopes started for Lexington getting the win. He pitched five strong innings. He gave up two runs in the first as the first four Melrose batters reached base. He then set down the next eight Americans batters, the longest such streak for the Sox in the series. Gianni Zarilli doubles to lead off the fourth and is stranded at third. Pat Costigan has his second of three hits in the fifth but is left on base as Lopes retired six of the last seven batters he faced and 14 of the last 16.
The Americans started off quickly as Costigan (single), John Jennings (walk), Cory Bright, single and RBI and Zarilli, triple and RBI, started off the first. Costigan was picked off first by Lopes for the first out or the Americans could have done more damage.
Zarilli was 2-for-3 with a triple and double, RBI after going 1-for-7 in the first two games of the series. Costigan with three hits had his third straight multi hit game of the post season. Game three was the first time he did score for Melrose.
Ryan Joyce started for Melrose and took the loss. He pitched 1.2 innings, giving up three hits, three runs and walked four.
Feliciano went 2-for-4, with 3 RBI, a double and a run.
Ryan O’Rourke (6th) and Manny Delcarmen (7th) closed out the game for Lexington. O’Rourke walked one and struck out one in his inning of work. Delcarmen gave up two hits but did not allow a run.

This was the second time since 2006 that these two teams met in the semifinals. Lexington swept in 2009 outscoring the Americans 29-3 in three games (the semis were a best of five series). Though the Sox won this year it was a little different. It was not a sweep and the Sox outscored Melrose 21-15. The Americans out hit Lexington 33 to 26.

For the eighth straight season the ICL Finals will be held at Morelli Field in Melrose. First game is scheduled for Monday August 8 with first pitch at 7:45 pm. It will be a rematch of the 2021 finals as Middlesex won its game three 3-0 over Andre to advance. Last season Lexington swept the Expos though game three was played at Victory Field in Watertown due to rain in Melrose.

Written by Bruce Hack, Lexington Media Relations Director

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Melrose – Lexington used a six-run second inning to power its way to a 10-6 win over Melrose Thursday night at Morelli Field.
The victory evened the best of three semifinal series at 1-1. Game three is Friday night in Lexington with first pitch at 8:00 pm.
The first five Blue Sox batters in the second inning reached base via hit or walk with Matt Chatelle closing out the sequence with a three-run home to center, his first in a Blue Sox uniform. Andrew Selima started the rally with a double to right. Cam Meyer, who homered in game one, doubled down the leftfield line and the game was tied at 1-1. Mike Khoury walked, Alex Voitik singled to score Meyer and Chatelle went deep. Americans’ starter Ronnie Luke recorded two outs, but Dom Zaher drove one well over the fence in left for a solo home run and a 6-1 lead. It was Zaher’s third career postseason home run, all which have been hit at Morelli Field.
Lexington starter Robbie Cobb (1-0) benefited from the offensive outbreak. He gave up a first inning run on singles by Pat Costigan, John Jennings and with two outs Aidan Barry who drove in Costigan. Cobb stranded runners in the second and third innings before getting a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth. The fourth was part of six straight Melrose batters set down by Cobb before the Americans final broke through in the fifth.
With one out, Costigan (his second hit) singled, Jennings singled, Bright singled to score Costigan. Jennings scored on a wild pitch and Gianni Zarilli hit a sacrifice fly to right to make it 10-4. Barry’s double ended the night for Cobb. Sean Mahan came in and gave up a single to Scott Searles that scored Barry and it was 10-5.
Cobb pitched 4.2 innings, giving up 9 hits, 5 runs, no walks and three strikeouts. It was the second straight year he pitched in an elimination game for Lexington. He pitched in game three against Andre in last season’s semifinal series and went 4.2 innings, giving up 2 hits, an unearned run and struck out two.
Zaher lead the Blue Sox 11-hit attack by going 4-for-4 with 2 runs, 3 RBI, a double, and home run. He doubled in his only at bat in game one and now has five straight hits in two games.
Lexington added four more runs in the fourth to take a 10-1 lead. The Sox loaded the bases on a walk to Voitik, a single by Jesse McCullough and Ernie Little getting hit by a pitch. With two outs and Zaher at the plate the Blue Sox scored two runs on a ball that didn’t leave the infield. With the runners in motion Zaher hits a one-hop ground ball to short. Zarilli corrals it and throws to second for the third out. Because the runners were in motion with the pitch, Voitik scored easily from third, McCullough scores from second and Little ends up on third as he was past the bag when Melrose made the attempt for the force out. Zaher scores the 10th and final run on an error.
Following Cobb on the hill for Lexington was Sean Mahan, Borja Jones-Berasaluce and Manny Delcarmen. The trio combined to pitch 2.1 innings, giving up one hit, an unearned run, walked and struck out one batter.
Melrose starter Ronnie Luke (0-1) pitched 2 innings giving up 6 hits, 6 runs, walked and struck out one. Christian Loescher and Nick Colucci pitched the final five innings giving up 5 hits, 4 runs, walked 2 and struck out 6.

From the Stat Sheet – The teams combined for 22 hits and 16 runs a night after knocking out 25 hits and scoring 12 runs in game one. The two home runs by Lexington give them 20 home runs in 24 playoff games at Morelli.

Written by Bruce Hack, Lexington Media Relations Director

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