By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
MELROSE — On Monday evening, the Melrose Americans baseball team fell at home, 9-2, to the Lexington Blue Sox at Morelli Field. With that defeat, the Americans record fell to 15-10-1 while the Blue Sox, who are in first place in the Intercity League, improved to 21-5-1.
Lexington raced out to a 5-0, lead in the top of the first inning and never looked back.
Ryan Bourgeois hit his third home run of the season to account for the Americans’ two runs in the bottom of the fourth.The homer was to left-center.
Pitcher Ben Cassavoy fell to 2-3 on the mound. The Melrose resident gave up five runs, three hits and four walks.
Lexington added one run in the third and scored three more times in the fourth to account for their other runs.
Melrose finished with six hits.Ted Giardina was the team’s lone multiple hitter going 2 for 3. Shaun MacPhee also reached base twice with a single and a walk.
“We got into a big hole early and we struck out 13 times,” pointed out Melrose manager Kevin Burgoyne.
On July 30, the Americans lost, 3-1, to the visiting Lexington Bulldogs. Lexington scored once in the top of the first and twice more in the third.
The lone Americans run came in the bottom of the third on a John Jennings RBI single.
Jack Sadowski was the winning pitcher going five innings. He gave up one run, one hit, walked four and struck out six.
The Melrose offense had just that lone hit by Jennings as reliever Alec Peruzzi did not allow a hit the final two innings to record the save. He walked two and struck out three.
Alex Parisi fell to 2-2 He went all seven innings allowing three runs (two earned), seven hits, two walks and he fanned 11.
“We struck out 11 times in that game,” pointed out Burgoyne. “We have to do a better job of putting the ball in play.”
On July 28, the Americans doubled up the Andre Chiefs, 4-2, at Maplewood Park in Malden.
Melrose had nine hits as three players had two hits. Zach Khozozian was 2 for 2 with a walk. Jennings and Matt Elwell were both 2 for 4 with one RBI. Chris Klein added an RBI single.
Melrose scored once in the third inning and three more times in the fifth.
The Chiefs scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings.
Aidan Barry went to 1-0 on the hill going 5.2 innings. He gave up two runs, four hits, five walks and he struck out six.
“Our original starter texted me that he had car trouble and couldn’t make it,” explained Burgoyne. “Aidan found out he was pitching about a half an hour before we started and he really stepped up for us,”
Nick Colucci recorded his fourth save of the summer going the final 1.1 innings. He walked two and struck out one.
“Nick also did a great job closing it out,” said Burgoyne.
Melrose is trying to avoid the play-in game that will take place this weekend where the fourth and fifth seeds play each other for the final playoff spot.
After the play-in game, the top seeded Blue Sox will play the fourth-place team in the semifinal round while the second and third place teams will play in the other semifinal round.
Each series is a best-of-five series.
The two series winners then play in a best-of-five championship series.
Updates for the playoffs are on the league website (intercityleaguebaseball.com).