By Bruce Hack
Watertown – In a game moved to Victory Field due to the weather, Lexington jumped out to an 8-0 lead and then held on for an 8-6 win over Alibrandis Thursday night. The Blue Sox win clinched a first place finish in the regular season at 18-6 for 36 points. Alibrandis is 12-10-1 for 25 points in fourth place with a game to play.

Julian Alvarez capped off the sixth run fourth inning with a three run home run, his second of the season. The Sox had Ryan O’Rourke on first (single) with two outs. Lexington took advantage of an Alibrandis error on a dropped infield pop up. Dom Zaher, Gage Gaunt and Luke Hall all delivered two-out singles that drove in a run for a 5-0 lead and setting up Alvarez.

Lexington scored twice in the third also with two outs in the inning. Brendan Jones tripled with one out. After the second out, Gaunt walked and Hall and Alvarez had RBI singles for the 2-0 lead.

Meanwhile on the mound for the Blue Sox O’Rourke faced 15 batters in his 5 innings pitched. He walked Juan Parra to start the game, struck out Pete John and then induced a double-play ground ball by Joe Maguire to end the inning. The southpaw then retired the next 12 batters, eight on strikeouts and finished with five scoreless and hitless innings. At one point he struck out five consecutive batters and seven of eight.
Alibrandis got to the Blue Sox bullpen in the sixth scoring four runs off Armando Acosta. Parra and John each had RBI singles to put Alibrandis on the board with one out. Steve Rizzuto had a two out, two-run single to make it 8-4 after six.

In the seventh with one out Alibrandis loaded the bases on singles by Charlie Auditore, pinch-hitter Tyler Ferdinand and Parra. John delivered a two-run single to make it 8-6 off Blue Sox reliever Robbie Cobb. They would get no closer as Lexington held on to sweep the season series, 4-0.

Alvarez drove in four runs for Lexington on two hits. Jones and Gaunt each scored twice and had two hits. Hall had a pair of two-out RBI.

For Alibrandis John had two hits and three RBI. Auditore scored twice and contributed two hits, including a double. Parra had two hits, a run and RBI.

O’Rourke earned his eighth win of the season finishing 8-0 with 94 strike outs in 50 innings pitched.
Scott McDonald started for Alibrandis and pitched a complete game. He gave up 13 hits, eight runs, two earned, walked three and struck out five.

Bruce Hack, Lexington Media Relations Director

Alibrandis erased a 7-2 sixth inning deficit on the way to a 13-8 extra inning win over the Malden Maddogs at Maplewood on Monday night. The winners scored five times in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 7-7. Malden scored a run in the bottom of the sixth to regain the lead at 8-7 before Alibrandis forced the extra inning with a run in their half of the seventh. Alibrandis posted their second five spot of the night in the top of the eighth to account for the 13-8 final. Juan Parra (3-4, double), Dave Lightbody (2-5, double, 3 RBI’s), Charlie Auditore (2-2, double) and Joe Boushell (2 RBI’s), led Alibarndis’ 12 hit offense. Tyler Ferdinand (1-0) got the win with two innings of scoreless pitching in relief of starter Anthony DelPrete (5 innings) and reliver Brian Bryan Saffelle (1 inning).

In Lexington, the Blue Sox beat the Chiefs 10-1. (See separate story by Lexington’s Media Director Bruce Hack).

On Tuesday, the Americans host the Middlesex Expos at Morelli Field in Melrose at 7:30 PM and the Chiefs visit Alibrandis at Maplewood (Malden Catholic) at 8:30 PM.

Michael Oliveira (2), Andrew Mazzone, and Dionys Quezada had the RBI’s when the Middlesex Expos beat the Reading Bulldogs 4-1 on Sunday afternoon at Morton Field. Three Middlesex pitchers, Ryan Qualey (4 innings, 2 hits, 4 K’s), Dan Shaw (2 innings, 2 hits, 1 K) and Shawn Carlson (1 inning, 2 hits, 2 K’s) combined on six-hitter for the Expos. Shaw (2-1) picked up the win while Carlson picked up his first save of the season. Jose Paulino added two hits for Middlesex while Joe Miller had a double and single for Reading. Jack Wallace (2-1) took the loss for the Bulldogs.

In Lexington, the Blue Sox walked off with a 5-4 win over Alibrandis. (See separate story by Lexington’s Media Director Bruce Hack)

On Monday, the Blue Sox host the Andre Chiefs in Lexington and Alibrandis will meet the Malden Maddogs at Maplewood. Both games will start at 8:00 PM.

Andrew Mazzone hit a pair of solo homers, his fifth and sixth of the season, and Matt Costanza had an RBI double, when the Middlesex Expos beat the Melrose Americans 3-1 at Trum Field on Friday. Zach Kirby (6-1) fired a sharp complete game three-hitter while striking out a dozen. Scott Searles provided all of the Melrose offense with a second inning home run. Chris Mitchell (2-3) allowed just five hits in 5.1 innings but took the loss.

At Maplewood, the Lexington Blue Sox banged out five home runs on the way to a 14-5 win over the Malden Maddogs. Alex Krylov went 4-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI’s to pace the 17 hit attack. Gage Gaunt singled twice, tripled, and hit a two-run homer and Brendan Jones and Ryan Grace each had a round-tripper for the Blue Sox. Logan Gillis and Mac Harris each had a two-run home run for the Maddogs in the bottom of the third inning. Jack Swartz (2-1) picked up the pitching win.

Ten homers were hit in the two games played on Friday night.

Tufts University’s southpaw Lucas Gustavson (1-0) went six innings to get the win when the Andre Chiefs edged Alibrandis 2-1 on Wednesday night at Howard Park on the Malden Catholic campus. The Chiefs erased a 1-0 Alibrandis lead when they scored their two runs in the bottom of the second inning. An error and singles from Miles Reid, Graham Smith, Kyle DeRoma, and Nick Valdario accounted for the runs. Teddy Dziuba had two of Alibrandis six hits. Sean Sullivan (1-2) took the loss.

On Thursday, the Chiefs host the Melrose Americans at Maplewood at 8:00 PM and the Malden Maddogs visit the Blue Sox in Lexington also at 8:00 PM.