By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
LEXINGTON — The Melrose Americans were nipped by the Lexington Blue Sox, 3-2, on Monday evening at Lexington High School.
With that defeat, the Americans record fell to 9-10 as they are in third place in the Intercity League while the Blue Sox improved to 9-11.
Lexington won this one in the seventh inning with one out as Ernie Little got hit by a pitch to bring in pinch-runner Anthony Piscitello with the game-winning run.
Lexington scored its other two runs in the first and third innings.
The Americans scored once in the top of the second and their second in the fourth.
Jack Beverly singled in the first Americans run while Aidan Barry scored the second run on a passed ball.
The Americans had only three hits off pitchers Jack Swarbrick and Steve Bangs, who got the win in relief.
Bobby Tramondozzi, who started in the seventh and got one out, took the loss. Chris Mitchell was the starter going four innings giving up two runs and five hits.
On Sunday afternoon at home, the Americans defeated the Lexington Bulldogs, 10-2, at Morelli Field. Barry led the way as he had a homer, double, and four runs batted in.
Lead-off hitter, Pat Costigan, added a double and three RBI and Melrose resident, Ian Libby, had two hits and scored twice.
Jordan Gottesman improved to 2-0 pitching 5.2 innings. He gave up two runs (both unearned), five hits, five walks and he struck out 11.
Both Bulldogs runs were scored in the first. The Americans scored once in the bottom of the first, three times in the third and broke the game open with five runs in the fifth.
They added one more in the sixth.
Melrose finished with eight total hits. Beverly and Nick Giangregorio both had one RBI.
On July 19, the Americans were shutout by the Sabertooth Expos, 7-0, at home. Melrose had only four hits off winning pitcher Nick Johnson (5-0) with Shawn Nestor being the lone multiple hitter going 2 for 2.
Johnson fanned 13 and walked only one going all seven innings.
Mike Nestor (2-1) went two innings for Melrose. He gave up one run, three hits, one walk and he struck out three.
The Expos scored three in the fifth and two in the sixth to pull away.
On July 18, Melrose lost, 5-2, to the Blue Sox at Lexington High School.
Cory Bright and Barry had RBI singles in the third to knot the score at 2-2.
The Blue Sox then scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
Pitcher Harper Flint took the loss pitching 4.1 innings He gave up four runs, eight hits, one walk and he fanned five.
The Americans go to Maplewood Park in Malden Friday night at 8 p.m. to take on the Expos. On July 30, at 5 p.m., they host the Bulldogs.