THE MELROSE 12-year-old All-Stars are off to the Massachusetts Final Four. Melrose played Acton-Boxboro on Thursday and will meet either Pittsfield or Bridgewater on Friday. Two of the Final Four teams will make it to the state championship game, which will take place on Sunday at 11 a.m. All Final Four games will take place at Deyermond Park in Andover. (Courtesy Photo)

 

By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI

MELROSE — Last Saturday night, the Melrose 12-year-old Williamsport Little League team won the Section 3 title as they edged Somerville 2-0 at Sacramone Park in Everett (all four Sectional games were held there).

This is the fifth time the teams have played as they played three times in District 12 and twice in the sectionals.

Melrose is now in the state finals, which is up in Andover at Deyermond Field. On Thursday, they took on Acton-Boxboro (results not available at press time). They face either Bridgewater or Pittsfield on Friday, July 26 (game time either 5 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.). Saturday, July 27 at 11 a.m. will be the elimination game that Melrose is hoping to avoid. The title game is on July 28 at 11 a.m.

The winner goes on to New England’s that will take place in Bristol, Connecticut.

Melrose went 4-1 against Somerville. Somerville advanced to the sectionals since District 12 was the host for the sectional and they qualified by coming in second because of the size of the district.

Both runs scored in the bottom of the fourth as two runners scored from third on passed balls as Thomas Keefe and Joseph Martin, who had the two Melrose hits in the game, both scored.

“They both got great jumps,” said Melrose head coach Patrick Keefe.

Keefe was the winning pitcher going all six innings to post the shutout. He allowed five hits, one walk and he stuck out nine.

Melrose drew six walks as Cam Stratford and Cruz Ramirez led the team with two walks each.

“This was our fifth game against them and we were lucky to beat them,” admitted Keefe. “Somerville has earned our total respect as tough competitors and they are a class act.”

 

MELROSE had a 2-1 walk-off win over Somerville to make the Section 3 championship and they beat Somerville again, 2-0 in the title game to advance to the Massachusetts Final Four, which will take place from Thursday to Sunday at Deyermond Park in Andover. (Courtesy Photo)

 

The night before, Melrose edged Somerville, 2-1. Ryan Silva was the hero as his ground out in the bottom of the sixth allowed the game-winning run to score.

“This was another great team win,” said Keefe. “We pitched by committee so that we could manage the pitch count and have our pitchers available for the Saturday championship game. They all did great.”

Four pitchers combined to allow just one run and two hits. Dylan Cote opened the game while James Buono, Jack Obremski and Ollie O’Leary each threw shutout innings in relief.

Frankie Bates had an RBI double in the first to give Melrose the 1-0 lead.

Somerville tied it on a Jasper Hall double in the top of the fourth.

“Frankie and Ryan came up clutch,” said Keefe.

Evan Snow, Dylan Cote and O’Leary had the other three Melrose hits.

On July 18, Melrose beat Parkway by a final of 4-1.

“This was a great team win,” stated Keefe.  “We had strong pitching from Victor (Dale), who struck out fewer batters than he normally does, but we had amazing defense behind him and we made the plays. Victor had great control, only giving up two walks.”

Dale went all six frames allowing one run, three hits and he struck out four.

The offense, which had eight hits, scored once in the top of the third and three more times in the top of the fourth.

Martin laid down a sacrifice bunt in the third to plate the first run.

In the fourth, Snow had the big hit with a two-run double.

Keefe, Stratford, Snow, Obremski, Bates, Cote, O’Leary and Ramirez each had one hit in the game.

Melrose walked six times as Silva and Stratford led the team with two walks each.

The defense was error free as Martin, a shortstop, led the team with five put-outs.

In the first game of the sectionals on July 17, Melrose beat Needham 4-2.

Stratford had a fielder’s choice in the top of the first to make it 1-0.

Needham tied it up in the bottom of the first but Melrose took the lead for good in the second on a Dale two-run triple.

Needham scored once in the fourth but Melrose got an insurance run in the top of the fifth as Silva had an RBI double.

Keefe was the starting pitcher and he gave up six hits and two runs over three and two-thirds innings. He struck out two and walked two.

Dale threw one and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief, striking out three and walking none. Ollie O’Leary came in to close it out and struck out the final two batters he faced to record the save.

“Needham was tough and gave us a good fight,” said Keefe.