By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
MELROSE — Just like last year, the Melrose Americans baseball team’s season came to an end in the Intercity League playoff semifinals.
The Americans’ last game was on Aug. 12 as they fell to the visiting Lexington Blue Sox, 6-4, in nine innings at Morelli Field.
The Blue Sox won the best-of-three series, 2-0, as they won game one, 3-1, the night before in Lexington.
The 4th-seeded Americans ended the year at 17-13-1 while top-seeded Lexington improved to 24-5-1.
In the top of the ninth, an Erick Ramirez sacrifice fly drove in Pat Casserly with the winning run. They then added another run to lead by two.
Melrose was then shut down in the bottom of the 9th to end the game and the Americans’ 2025 campaign.
The Blue Sox scored first in the top of the fourth on an RBI by Anderson Jimenez.
Lexington then plated three runs in the top of the sixth to go up 4-0. Luis Antiles had a two-run double and Will Norris had another RBI.
Melrose then rallied in the bottom of the sixth scoring four times to tie the game up. Aidan Barry had a two-run single while Alex Fernandes and John Jennings also knocked in one run.
Nick Bamforth, who was the team’s fifth pitcher of the night, was the loser in relief going the final two innings.
He gave up two unearned runs, one hit, one walk and he struck out two.
Ryan O’Rourke was the winning pitcher as the reliever went 2.1 innings. He gave up no runs, two hits, no walks and he struck out four.
Mike O’Brien got the save pitching the ninth not allowing a hit and striking out one.
Melrose had five hits with Pat Costigan behind the team’s lone multiple hitter going 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Along with Barry and Jennings, the other American hit was by Shaun MacPhee as he reached base all three times going 1 for 1 with a pair of walks.
The Blue Sox ended up winning the league title as they swept the 3rd-seeded Lexington Bulldogs, 3-0, in the best-of five finals as all games were held at Morelli.
The Blue Sox won, 8-7, in the first game on Aug. 15, 2-0 on Aug. 17 and 6-3 on Aug. 18.