By Bruce Hack, Lexington Blue Sox Historian
Lexington – The Intercity League and one Yawkey League team came together on a beautiful day for baseball at Lexington High School’s Center 1 Field.
The three games played provided fans with great baseball, as a total of four runs decided the action.
With slight bias (full disclosure, the writer works for the Lexington Blue Sox), we will start with the middle game of the day.
Lexington Blue Sox,5, Brighton Black Sox 4
Dom Gabardi’s hard-hit single past the Brighton third baseman brought home Brendan Doyle with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
Lexington had loaded the bases on a hit batter (Doyle) and walks to Will Norris and Jake McElroy. Brighton brought in Sam Ravela in relief of Alex Montero. With the count 1-1, Gabardi drilled one down the line, and the Blue Sox were celebrating their first walk-off win of the season.
The Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh as they entered the frame down 4-2. McElroy and Gabardi began the inning with singles, putting Sox runners on first and second. V Deasai reached on a throwing error by Brighton shortstop Bobby Higgins, bringing McElroy around to score, making it 4-3. With Gabardi on third and one out Pat Casserly pinch hit for Bryan Acosta and delivered a perfect squeeze bunt that scored Gabardi with the tying run. Lexington thought it was going to win when two batters later, Desai came home on a wild pitch, only to be called out in a very close play.
Brighton scored one in the top of the first without a hit. Justine Makisimu walked, stole second, moved to third on an infield out, and scored on a sacrifice fly.
The linescore through the first three innings: Brighton with one run, no hits, and one error. Lexington had no runs, one hit, and no errors.
The Black Sox changed that in the fourth. They scored three runs on four hits. Jake Hatch and Will Baker each had a run-producing double to spark the Brighton offense. Baker chased Lexington starter Michael O’Brien. Michael Herlihy was first out of the Blue Sox bullpen. He stranded two runners in the fourth and another in the fifth. Grant Strother and Brayan Garre followed Herlihy out of the pen and threw scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh. Matt Draper entered in the eighth and pitched a scoreless inning and getting the win to improve to 2-1 on the season.
Lexington answered the Black Sox rally with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth. Charlie Comella singled, moved to third on an error, and then scored on another Black Sox error for the first Lexington run. Norris who reached on the first error, eventually scored on a single by Luis Atiles.
Melrose 2, Andre 1
In the third and final game of the day, the Americans walked off the Chiefs in the bottom of the seventh for a 2-1 win that kept them in first place at 8-2-1 for 17 points.
Ryan Bourgeois and Matt Elwell began the seventh for Melrose with singles, giving the Americans runners at first and second. An infield error loaded the bases with no outs. The 2-2 pitch to Zach Khozozian was wild, and pinch-runner Aidan Lynch beat the throw, scoring the winning run for Melrose.
The Chiefs scored their lone run in the top of the second. Jordan Barthel and Tim Cataldo started the inning with singles, giving the Chiefs runners at the corners. After an out, Matt Toland reached on a single to first, driving in Barthel for a 1-0 lead.
The Chiefs had numerous scoring opportunities, but could not get the hit when they needed it. They loaded the bases with one out in the fourth and stranded all three runners. In the fifth, they left runners on second and third. For the game, the Chiefs stranded 10 baserunners, including five in scoring position.
Melrose starter Luke Yorba pitched six innings, giving up 6 hits, 1 run, walking and striking out 4. He made the pitches when he needed to, holding the Chiefs to the lone run.
Alex Parisi earned his first win of the season for Melrose. He pitched the seventh, gave up no hits, and struck out one.
Melrose tied the game in the bottom of the second. With one out, Tad Giardina doubled and was quickly driven in by Bourgeois.
AJ Rourke took the loss in relief of Chiefs starter Evan Walsh. Rourke, 1-1, pitched 2.1 innings, gave up a run, two hits, walked two, and struck out three.
Lexington Bulldogs 4, Stoneham 2
In the opening game of the day, the Bulldogs came from behind to improve to 5-4 and stay tied for fourth place with their Lexington neighbors.
Down 1-0 after one, the Bulldogs scored three runs on three hits in the second. Catcher Jay Voica drove in the first two runs with a triple to right. Voica scored on an error to give the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead.
Stoneham scored in the first when two walks and a single loaded the bases with one out. Dionys Quezada had the first walk and scored from third on a passed ball for the 1-0 lead.
The Sabres cut the lead to 3-2 in the fifth. Nelson Correa took second on a throwing error. He was brought home by the next batter, Quezada, with a double.
The Bulldogs scored their final run in the sixth. Brett Stone and Shane Costello singled, and with one out, Voica singled to drive in his third run of the game.
Sean Marsh pitched three innings in relief of starter Will Seward; and earned his first win of the season. He gave up two hits, an unearned run, and struck out five. Nigel Cross picked up his second save of the season, pitching the final two innings and retiring all six batters he faced. In the sixth, he struck out the side.
Stoneham starter Nicholas Genese pitched 5.2 innings and took the loss, falling to 1-2 on the season. He gave up nine hits, four runs, walked one and, struck out four.
Day of Baseball Notes – Since 2006, the host Lexington Blue Sox are now 10-1-1 on the day of baseball with a four-game win streak. The Chiefs, 8-3-0, had won eight straight DOB games, but have now lost two straight. Melrose has won three consecutive and is now 5-5-2.
