By Bruce Hack

Lexington Blue Sox Team Historian

Melrose – The Battle of Lexington was brought to an end Monday night when the Blue Sox defeated the Bulldogs 6-3 and won the 2025 Intercity League Championship.

This was the 17^th title for the Blue Sox since they entered the league in 1995. It was the franchise’s 13th title since 2006 and the first since 2021.

Monday night, it was a come-from-behind victory, the first in this playoff run.

Emilio Berndt started the third-inning rally with a double to right. A single through the left side by Jay Voica and a walk to Mike Sibert loaded the bases with no outs. A balk was called on Sox starter Chris Wanat, bringing  Berndt home with the first Bulldogs run. Voica was out at home on a nice play by third baseman Erick Ramirez to catcher Luke Maltacea for the first out. Brett Stone lofted a fly ball into shallow center that shortstop Luis Antiles caught, but Sibert was able to score on the sacrifice fly for the 2-0 lead.

The Blue Sox wasted no time in getting back into the game. They loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom half of the third. Owen McKiernan walked, Maltacea singled, and Brendan Jones walked to out a Sox runner on every base. Bulldogs’ starter Alec Peruzzi retired the next two batters and appeared to be a batter away from getting out of the inning. Julian Alvarez lined a single into left, and McKiernan came home, cutting the lead to 2-1. Antiles walked on a contested 3-2 pitch to bring in Maltacea with the tying run. Both Voica and Peruzzi thought the pitch to Antiles was strike three, but an appeal to the first base umpire resulted in a ball four call, and the Blue Sox runner was crossing the plate while the Bulldogs were trying to understand what had happened. Still with two outs, the Bulldogs thought they had ended the rally when Anderson Jimenez struck out, but the pitch got away from Voica, and his throw to first to get Jimenez for the third out sailed into right field. This allowed Brendan Jones to score the go-ahead run and Alvarez to come all the way around from second to make it 4-2 Sox. Patrick Casserly stepped up to the plate and doubled down the leftfield line, scoring Antiles, and it was 5-2 Blue Sox.

Sox starter Wanat came out after five innings of work. He had two 1-2-3 innings, the second and fourth. He gave up four hits, walked two, and struck out three in earning his second win of the playoffs.

Peruzzi pitched 4.1 innings for the Bulldogs. He gave up six hits, six runs, walked five, and struck out three as his playoff record fell to 1-1.

The Bulldogs started the seventh with walks to pinch-hitter John Nordman and Shane Costello. Josh Becker came in from the bullpen for the Sox in relief of Luke Marshall. He struck out Voica, but a single through the right side by Sibert scored Nordtman, and it was 6-3. Becker induced a ground ball off the bat of Jaden Velis, which the Sox turned into a game-ending 4-6-3, Jimenez to Antiles to Casserly double play, and clinched the title.

The two hottest teams in the league reached the finals. The Bulldogs won their last five regular-season games and eight of their last ten. The Blue Sox ended the season on a team-record-setting streak, 16-0-1 over their final 17 games, the longest streak without a loss by the team since 2006

Now, for another year, the Intercity League season has come to a close. The lights went out at Morelli Field for the final time this summer, bringing to an end another season for the league, its players, and fans. The coaches and players of the Intercity League would like to thank all the fans for their attendance and support at games this season. They look forward to seeing everyone in 2026.

 

 

 

Melrose – In the battle of Lexington, the first skirmish went to the Blue Sox as they earned an 8-7 walk-off win over their Center 1 Field co-occupants, the Bulldogs, Friday night at Morelli Field.

Will Norris started the bottom of the eighth with a walk. He moved to second on a passed ball and then to third on Luke Maltaceas’ sacrifice bunt. Bryan Acosta was sent in to pinch-hit and delivered the game-winner when he singled up the middle, scoring Norris for the win.

The teams reached this point thanks to the Bulldogs’ Nick Favazzo. Down 7-3, Favazzo turned on a 1-0 fastball and drove it over the left field fence for a game-tying grand slam. With one out, the Bulldogs loaded the bases on a hit batter, a single, and a walk. A walk to Seamus Condon brought in a run to cut the lead to 7-3. Matt Draper came in from the Sox bullpen, replacing Luke Marshall, and gave up the home run to Favazzo, his second of the playoffs. Draper retired the next two Bulldog batters to end the inning.

The Blue Sox stranded runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh, and into extra innings the game went.

Julian Alvarez put the Blue Sox on the board in the third with a 2-run home run to left, which also scored Jake McElroy. It was his fourth career playoff home run with the Sox.

The Bulldogs’ first two runs were set up the same way. Nick Favazzo walked in the fourth and sixth innings. He stole second in both innings and took third on a throwing error by Sox catcher Luke Maltacea. In the fourth, Favazzo scored on Shane Costello’s RBI single. In the sixth, he came home on Emilio Berndt’s single.

The Blue Sox blew the game open in the fifth, taking a 7-1 lead, and looked to be on their way to a win. With two outs and no runners on, Luis Antiles walked to start the rally. He stole second base. With a 3-1 count on Alvarez, he was intentionally walked. Antiles stole third and came home on a throwing error by Bulldogs hurler Graham Seed as he attempted to nab Antiles at third. A walk to Anderson Jimenez loaded the bases. Owen McKiernan cleared them with a triple to right, and the Blue Sox had a 7-1 lead with two innings left.

The teams each started a left-hander on the mound. For the Sox, it was Michael O’Brien, coming off his save in game two against Melrose on Tuesday. The Bulldogs had Jack Sadowski on the hill, facing the Sox for the first time this season. Sadowski pitched four innings,  gave up five hits, three runs, walked two, and struck out seven. O’Brien pitched five innings, surrendering three hits, one run, walking four, and striking out a regular-season and playoff career-high eight. The two starters combined for 12 Ks through the first three innings.

Draper earned the win in relief, his second career playoff win. He set down the side in the eighth on 10 pitches, all three on strikeouts.

Nigel Cross took the loss, pitching 1.1 innings. He gave up two hits, a run, walked two, and struck out one.

This was the second straight extra-inning game for the Blue Sox. They went nine innings in their 6-4 win over Melrose on Tuesday night.

Both teams came into the finals with 2-0 postseason records, having swept their semifinal rounds. This is the first time since 2023 that both teams entered the finals without a loss. That season, the Chiefs were 2-0, and so were the Expos. Teams also accomplished the feat in 2012 and 2010. In 2012, Andre and the Blue Sox were 3-0. In 2010, it was Watertown at 5-0 and the Blue Sox at 3-0.

 

By Bruce Hack

Lexington Blue Sox Team Historian

Melrose – The Blue Sox and Americans battled for nine innings before the Sox came away with a 6-4 win and advanced to the Intercity League finals.

For the 21^st time since the Blue Sox’s inception in 1995, the team will be playing for an Intercity League championship.

Scoring twice in the top of the ninth, Lexington swept the semifinal series with Melrose. The Sox will play their Lexington neighbors, the Bulldogs, in the first playoff meeting between the occupants of Lexington High School’s Center One Field.

Pat Casserly started the ninth reaching on an infield error. David VanderZouwen reached on a bunt single, and there were Sox on first and second with no outs. A sacrifice bunt by Brendan Jones moved both runners into scoring position. A drive by Erick Ramirez to right field was deep enough to score Casserly from third with the go-ahead run. Will Norris beat out a ground ball to third for an infield hit that scored VanderZouwen for the 6-4 lead.

Michael O’Brien was the fifth Blue Sox pitcher of the game, came in and threw a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out Ian Libby to bring the game to a close.

Down 4-0 in the sixth, the Americans rallied for four runs to knot the score at 4-4. Sox reliever Luke Marshall, who threw a perfect fifth inning, walked the first two batters in the sixth. The call to the bullpen brought Josh Becker in to put out the fire. Pat Costigan singled to left to load the bases with no outs. Becker hit Alex Fernandes with his first pitch, and the Americans were on the scoreboard. John Jennings followed with a single to left, cutting the lead to 4-2. Becker struck out the next two Americans, but with two left-handed batters coming up, Lexington went to the bullpen again. This time, lefty veteran Ryan O’Rourke took the hill. On a 2-2 count, Aidan Barry hit a line drive into right that scored Costigan and Fernandes, tying the game at 4-4. O’Rourke struck out Libby to finally end the rally.

Lexington had taken a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth, scoring three times in the top half of the inning. Julian Alvarez singled to right to start the rally. He was pinch-run for by Norris. After a walk to Jake McElroy, Melrose went to the bullpen and brought in Luke Yorba. He promptly gave up a double to center by Luis Antiles that scored both runners for a 3-0 lead. Antiles scored on Luke Maltacea’s single for the 4-0 lead.

McElroy scored the Sox’s first run in the fourth. He doubled to lead off the frame. After a flyout moved him to third, he scored on Anderson Jimenez’ RBI single for the 1-0 lead.

Blue Sox starter Matt Draper pitched four innings, only giving up one hit, a game-leadoff double to Costigan. Draper got out of the first by catching a line drive off the bat of Jennings and turning to double off Costigan. He pitched a 1-2-3 second and then stranded two Melrose runners in the third and fourth innings. Draper walked one and struck out three.

The Americans started Brandon McMahon, who lasted three plus innings. He gave up three hits, one run, walked two, and struck out three.

The bullpens struggled for both teams. For Melrose, Jake Simpson, Yorba, and Nick Colucci all came in with runners on base, and all four of those runners scored. For Lexington, Becker and O’Rourke entered the game with five runners on between them, with four of them scoring.

O’Rourke settled down in the seventh and eighth innings, retiring the last four batters he faced, three by strikeout. He finished with four K’s and picked up his first win of the 2025 season. It was his third career playoff victory. For O’Brien, it was his first save of 2025 and his first in two seasons with the Blue Sox.

The teams combined to throw 301 pitches, 189 for strikes in the nine-inning contest.

This was the first extra-inning playoff game between Melrose and Lexington. This was the longest postseason game for Lexington since it played 10 innings against Reading in game three of the 2017 finals on August 24.

 

By Lexington Blue Sox Team Historian

Bruce Hack

Lexington – Chris Wanat and Dan Metzdorf combined on a five-hitter to lead Lexington to a 3-1 win over Melrose in the first game of their semifinal series.

Game Two is today at Melrose High School’s Morelli Field. First pitch is scheduled for 8:00 pm.

Wanat started and pitched five strong innings. He scattered five hits, struck out one, and walked none. He picked up his first playoff win for the Blue Sox.

Dan Metzdorf pitched the final two innings for the Sox and recorded his first save in either the regular season or playoffs. The lefty struck out three and gave up one hit.

Lexington scored first as leadoff hitter David VanderZouwen tripled to start the bottom of the first for the Sox. Brendan Jones singled to center, and VanderZouwen trotted home for the 1-0 lead.

The Blue Sox added two more runs in the fourth. Anderson Jimenez started the inning with a double to left. Will Norris dropped a bunt down the third base line, and Jimenez beat the throw to put runners on first and third. Owen McKiernan hit a grounder to short, and the Americans forced Norris at second, but McKiernan beat the relay throw, and Jimenez scored for a 2-0 lead. McKiernan moved to third on a stolen base and an infield out before scoring on a wild pitch for the 3-0 lead.

The Americans got on the board against Wanat in the fifth. In an eight-pitch at bat, Aidan Barry singled to begin the inning. Barry stole second and moved to third on a flyout to center. He scored on Tad Giardina’s infield out to cut the lead to 3-1.

Alex Parisi started for Melrose. He pitched four innings, gave up six hits, three runs, walked, and struck out 2. Ben Cassavoy tossed the final two innings, allowing 2 hits, no runs, and walking two.

This is the third postseason series between the Blue Sox and Melrose. Lexington won the previous two series and is 5-1 in games. The 3-1 score equals the lowest score in a playoff game between the Sox and Americans. Lexington won 3-1 on August 17, 2009 in the first playoff series between the two teams.

The ICL’s 2025 playoff field is set after the regular season concluded on Wednesday night.

The post season will begin on Friday at Morelli Field when the the #4 Melrose Americans host the #5 Middlesex Expos in a one game play-in starting at 8:00 PM.

The winner of the Expos-Americans game will move on to a best of three semi-final series against the #1 Lexington Blue Sox at LHS starting on Monday.

In the other semi-final series, which also begins on Monday, the #2 Malden Maddogs will host the #3 Lexington Bulldogs at Maplewood.

The winners of both semi-final series will meet in a best of five championship series.

A new ICL champion will crowned this summer as the two-time defending champs Andre Chiefs suffered through a nine game winless streak to close out their season and did not qualify for the playoffs.

In Wednesday’s action, the Americans crushed the McKay Club 13-0, the Bulldogs shutout the East Boston Knights 12-0, and the Expos beat the Boston A’s by forfeit, 7-0.

All ICL playoff games will start at 8:00 PM.