BULLDOGS WIN FIRST EVER ICL CHAMPIONSHIP
INTERCITY LEAGUE NEWS & NOTES
Bulldogs, Merchants & Reds Grab Wednesday Wins
Johnny Hayes’ fifth inning double proved to be the big hit when the Reading Bulldogs came from behind to edge the Andre Chiefs 4-3 at Maplewood. Jack Burke (3-0) went five innings to get the win while Cam Lanzill threw two perfect innings to record the save. Homers by Leivi Ventura and Johnny Welch gave the Chiefs a 3-1 lead in the fourth. Mike Gedman (0-1) pitched well, going five innings and allowing five hits, but took the loss. Tyler Cedeno, Chris Bosco and Jeff Roy had RBI’s for the Bulldogs in the win. Mike Andrews got the complete game win when the Merchants erased a 2-0 sixth inning deficit to walk off with a 3-2 win over the Somerville Royals in Wakefield. Ryan Collins and Scott Searles (2) delivered the late inning RBI’s for the Merchants. A solo homer from Brady Chant and an RBI double from Jake Cintolo gave the Royals the lead. Andrews (3-1) allowed five hits and struck out seven. Paul Covelle (2-2) took the loss despite striking out 11. At Morelli, the Watertown Reds used a complete game four-hitter from Nate Beck, and got a homer and four RBI’s from Dan Chaisson (pictured), to turn back the host Melrose Americans 9-1. Beck (1-2) struck out eight. For Chaisson it was his third home run of the season. Kyle LaVigne, Jake Miller and Bryan McGrath added two hits each for the Reds. Dan Cacciola had two of the Americans’ four hits.
Alibrandis, Merchants & Blue Sox all Rally to Take Monday Wins
Lew Jensen spun a complete game five-hitter and Alibrandis got homers from Dave Lightbody and Teddy Dziuba to beat the Melrose Americans 8-1 at Morelli Field. Jensen (2-1) struck out seven. For Lightbody (pictured left) its was his fourth homer of the season. Dan Cacciola had two of the five Melrose hits. Alibrandis scored twice in the third and added a half dozen runs in the fourth to erase a 1-0 Americans’ first inning lead. Chris Butler’s two run double tied the game, and Scott Searles single provided the go ahead run, when the Wakefield Merchants scored three times in the top of the sixth inning to come from behind and beat the Andre Chiefs 4-2 at Maplewood. Alex Erwin (1-0) went 5.1 innings to get the win while Brandon Bartlett recorded his first save. Evan Walsh (2-3) blanked the Merchants over the first five frames but took the loss. Sacrifice flies from Danny DiMare and Juan Portes gave the Chiefs a 2-0 lead. Veteran Dan Graham singled in the tying run, and Thomas Russo brought in the winning run with an infield out in the sixth, when the Blue Sox scored twice to go in front and then held on to nip the Somerville Royals 3-2 in Lexington. Domenic Zahr threw out the tying run at the plate to end the game. Somerville took a 2-1 lead on RBI singles from Jake Cintolo and John Collette in the top of the fifth. Drew Brzozowski (1-0) picked up the win with 1.1 IP, 1H, 2Ks in relief of Casey Bussone and Conor Gleason got the save. Chris Ramos (0-1) took the loss despite allowing just four hits as the Royals outhit the Sox 8-4 in the game. (Craig Henry Photo)
Maguire & Horan Shutouts Give Merchants and Reds Sunday Wins
Joseph Maguire out-dueled Jamie Weiss when the Wakefield Merchants edged the Melrose Americans 1-0 in eight innings on Sunday at Walsh Field. Maguire (4-2) allowed just four hits and struck out eight. Weiss (0-2) was nearly as good allowing just six hits. Ryan Collins’ two out RBI in the bottom of the eighth was the difference. In Watertown, Matt Horan (6-0) stayed perfect on the season, spinning a two-hitter and fanning eight, when the Reds shutout Alibrandis 7-0 at Victory Field. Will Brennan was 2-2, including a triple, and had three RBI’s, while Logan Gillis and Dan Chaisson each had three hits as the Reds unleashed a 13 hit attack. The Malden Maddogs at Reading Bulldogs doubleheader, that was scheduled for Morton Field, was postponed due to wet field conditions.
ICL drops EMABC championship game to Cranberry League 8-2
Boston – The Cranberry League won its second Eastern Mass Amateur Baseball Classic with an 8-2 win over the Intercity League at BC High’s Monan Park on Saturday evening. This was the third time the two leagues have met in the Championship game and the first time the ICL has lost the Championship game. The Cranberries struck first scoring two in the third as Mike Muir (walk) and Jordan Enos (fielder’s choice) each scored on a double by Bryant Salkind. Salkind had his second two-run double in the fourth earning the tourney MVP with his 2-for-3, two doubles, and record-tying four RBI. Meanwhile Cranberry hurlers Dan Southerland, Connor Birch and Will Gallagher held the ICL without a hit for the first 4 and 2/3 innings. Bobby Losano (Wakefield) broke the no-hitter with a sharp base hit to left with two outs in the fifth. A wild pitch put Losano in scoring position. He then scored on John Jennings (Melrose) double, that just missed being a home run, to left to cut the lead to 5-1. In the sixth, Matt Nuzzo (Chiefs) blasted a home run to left over the wall to cut the lead to 5-2. That was the last run the ICL would score. Monan Park is also known, as little Fenway as it has the same outfield dimensions as Fenway Park. It does have a wall (fence and netting) from leftfield to center, but it is not as long or as high as the one at “big” Fenway. Borja Jones-Berasaluce (Lexington) took the loss for the ICL. In his one inning of work, the third, he gave up the first two Cranberry runs on two hits and two walks. He also struck out a batter. The Cranberry knocked out 16 hits, lead by Dan Cook with three and also two runs scored. Salkind and Nick Droukas each had two hits for the CBL. Connor Birch picked up the win pitching the third and fourth innings for the CBL. He allowed no hits, but did walk three and struck out won. The ICl is now 7-4 in the tournament’s history. Improving to 8-5 the CBL takes over the top spot for wins in tournament history.