By Bruce Hack, Lexington Correspondent

Lexington – For the second straight season, the Lexington Bulldogs are headed to the Intercity League finals. The Bulldogs defeated the Lexington Blue Sox 11-4 to win their semifinal series 2-1.

Now the Bulldogs await the winner of the Andre versus Melrose series, which is tied at 1-1 with the Chiefs’ 7-2 win Monday night.

It was a combination of timely hitting, good pitching, and good defense for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs took advantage of some uncharacteristic wildness by Blue Sox starter Dan Metzdorf, who walked two, loading the bases with two outs. Reuben Siegel singled to bring in the first run. Peyton Heisner followed with a 2-run single, and it was 3-0 Bulldogs in the top of the first.

The Blue Sox responded in the bottom of the second, also scoring three runs. Erick Ramirez and Luis Atiles hit back-to-back doubles to cut the lead to 3-1. Atiles moved to third on a wild pitch and came home on a sacrifice fly by Pat Casserly, whose bid for a home run was robbed at the fence. Craig Corliss walked and moved to third on Jake McElroy’s ground rule double to right. Corliss scored the tying run when Bulldogs starter Brady MacCuthchen was called for a balk.

The tie didn’t last long as the Bulldogs took the lead for good in the top of the third. Caleb Cormier walked, Ian Born singled, and Siegel walked, loading the bases with one out. Aidan Murphy took a four-pitch walk to bring in Cormier with the Bulldogs’ fourth run.

Matt Marini entered the game in the third and pitched four one-hit, shutout innings for the Bulldogs to earn the win. He faced one batter over the minimum thanks to his defense, which turned two double plays behind him, and also threw out a Blue Sox runner attempting to steal second.

Brett Stone doubled in two runs in the fourth, giving the Bulldogs a 6-3 lead. They added two more in the sixth and three in the seventh to score their most runs in a playoff game.

Blue Sox bench scored a run in the seventh to account for the final score. Pinch-hitters Max Dushney and Luke Ward walked. Harry Tucker was then hit by a pitch, loading the bases with no outs. Brendan Doyle walked on four pitches, and Dushney trotted home with the fourth Sox run.

The 11 runs, 13 hits, 5 doubles, and 8 walks are all playoff highs for the Bulldogs.

The teams combined to throw 326 pitches, walk 16 batters, and strike out 15.

 

(Melrose, MA)- Jake Barrett had a single, double, and two RBI’s, to lead the Melrose Americans to a 6-4 win over the Andre Chiefs in game one of their best of three semi-final series on Friday night at Morelli Field.

A Nick Valdario RBI single and a Teddy Dziuba three-run homer got the Chiefs out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning.

The Americans came storming back against Chiefs’ starter Matt Doherty and tied things up at 4-4 in the bottom of the inning.

Melrose went ahead with a single run in the third and then added an insurance run in the home half of the fifth inning.

Daniel Ferris, Laz Giardina, Chris Cimino, and Alex Fernandes (double) all drove in a run for the Americans.

Nick Banforth picked up the win going 6.2 innings before giving way to Mike Nestor who got the one out save. Banforth struck out seven, gave up eight hits, and walked just one.

Game two of the series is scheduled for Monday, and if a game three is needed it will be played on Tuesday. Both games will be played at Morelli Field starting at 7:45 PM.

Lexington – Though it wasn’t quite the “shot heard round the world, the Blue Sox handed the Bulldogs a decisive defeat in game one of their semifinal series, 11-1.

The Blue Sox took advantage of Bulldogs’ starter Andrew Yen’s wildness in the first inning as Yen walked six batters, five consecutive, with three of those bringing in runs. The ninth batter of the inning, Jack Pasciak, got the first Blue Sox hit, an RBI single to right good for a 5-0 lead. Logan Our followed with the sixth walk of the inning, and it was 6-0.

The Sox added three more runs in the second. Julian Alvarez and Dylan Walsh singled with one out. Luis Atiles followed with a double to center that scored both runners, and it was 8-0 Blue Sox. Atiles stole third and scored on a ground out by Craig Corliss.

Frank Landeiro closed out the Blue Sox scoring with a solo home run in the fifth, his first in a Blue Sox uniform.

Matt Draper started for Lexington and cruised through the first six innings. He faced three batters in the first thanks to a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play. He had a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth. Draper gave up 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7 in his complete-game effort.

The Bulldogs got on the board in the top of the seventh. They loaded the bases with one out on a walk to Seamus Condon and singles by Nanu Adu and Ian Born. Peyton Heisner hit a comebacker to Draper, who tossed home for the force, and in an attempt to complete the 1-2-3 double play to end the game, catcher Cam Kelley’s throw was wild, allowing Adu to come home with the lone Bulldogs run.

Bulldogs’ starter Yen pitched two innings, giving up 5 hits, nine runs, and walked eight.

Blue Sox batters Jake McElroy and Our each walked three times and drove in a run. Walsh walked twice, added two hits, and scored three runs. Atiles scored twice and drove in three. Corliss walked twice and had two RBI.

Game two is set for Friday night in Lexington with first pitch scheduled for 7:45 p.m.

 

 

Dan Metzdorf and Michael O’Brien combined to fire a two-hitter to lead the Lexington Blue Sox to a 5-0 shutout win over the Middlesex Expos at East Boston Stadium on Thursday night. Anderson Jiminez, Jack Pasciak, Dylan Walsh and Erick Ramirez had two hits each for the Blue Sox. O’Brien (3-0) struck out six in five innings to earn the win……Both the Andre Chiefs at ADSL and the Malden Maddogs at Boston Blue Jays games were rained out…..