Red Raiders prevailed 2-1 in opening round
Published in the June 9, 2017 edition
MELROSE UPSET #4 seed Reading 2-1 in the opening round of D2 North playoffs last week in Reading. (Donna Larsson photo)
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—In baseball, it often pays to peak at the right time. For the Melrose Red Raider baseball team, that time was in the opening round of the MIAA Div. 2 North playoffs, when 11th seed Melrose upset #4 seed Reading 2-1 at Moscareillo Field in Reading. With the thrilling win, Melrose advanced to quarterfinals against Danvers (see accompanying story), having captured 8 wins over 9 games.
It was a fierce pitchers duel between Melrose senior John Casperiello and Northeastern bound Corey DiLoreto, a commanding hurler for the Rockets who will pitch for the Huskies in the fall. Casparriello and Melrose prevailed in a 2-1 classic after Mike Koytikh’s 7th inning RBI single scored Rob Mele for the winning run.
Casparriello went the distance, earning 4 strike outs and 2 walks. Overall, Melrose silenced a Reading team who had some early Super 8 buzz about them. The 6’4 Diloreto was a pest for Melrose—his sac fly in the 3rd tied the game 1-1 —but he was not unsurmountable for the Red Raiders, whose crisp defense backed up Casparriello on the mound over the course of seven innings.
“John was fantastic on the mound,” said Melrose head coach Bill Hirschfeld after the game. “That’s my Chris Sale on the mound, but he got the run support he needed today. We had to grind it out, stay consistent. Reading is well coached team and play the game well. They aren’t going to hand it to you- you have to take it. So it was a great win and get the job done.”
Both Casparriello and Diloreto retired the side in the first, with the Rocket hurler going down swinging at his first at bat. But in the second inning Melrose batters proved they were up to the challenge with Max Watson reaching on a fielder’s choice, Drew McGuire reaching on a catcher interference call and Jack Sullivan hitting a single to left. Melrose stranded the runners but proved that they would force Diloreto to pitch to them.
Reading reached first on an infield error, but otherwise Melrose’s defenders kept a cool head and made several outstanding plays to keep the score deadlocked, including a diving, behind-the-back catch by Drew McGuire in left in the fifth inning and a barehanded grab of a deflected ball off the mound by Cal MacDonald at second for the out.
Melrose scored their first hit of the day when senior Connor Crovo hit a single to left that advanced Koytikh, who had walked. With two men on, Nick Cordeau nearly hit one out of the park until the ball hooked foul, and then he settled for walk. With bases loaded Drew McGuire hit a fielder’s choice that allowed Koytikh to cross the plate and make it a 1-0 Melrose game.
Reading responded in the bottom of the third when Joe Bradley and Ben Brungardt reached on singles. Diloreto hit a sac fly to score Bradley and tie things up 1-1. Both Casparriello and Diloreto retired the sides until the bottom of the fifth and Reading’s Ben Fischer was denied a hit with a remarkable diving catch in left by Melrose’s Drew Maguire, while Cal MacDonald ended the inning with a great play at second.
Melrose stranded a runner in the sixth after Cal Macdonald singled to right, and Reading’s next at bat proved a pivotal one. After an infield error awarded Reading’s Brungardt first base, Casparriello pitched a 3-2 count to Diloreto but hit infield shot simply took Brungardt out at second. A fly out by Dan Baker gave Reading two outs. Diloreto took off to third on a steal and on a 2-2 count Casparriello fanned James Reilly swinging to end the inning and save the game.
The top of the 7th changed everything for Melrose. Jack Sullivan had his second hit of the day, a single to center that put the winning run on first. Pinch runner Rob Mele advanced on a clutch bunt from Charlie Stanton. A fielder’s choice moved Mele to third but put two outs on the board. Mike Koytikh came to the plate, and on a 2-2 count, hit a ball that dropped over short and scored Mele to give Melrose the winning 2-1 lead. Casparriello shut the door in the bottom of the seventh, forcing a fly out to right, another to center and a ground out to preserve victory.
After the game Hirschfeld noted the Raiders ability to grind out the win. “These kids are playing great and putting it together, to win 8 out of 9, and against some great pitching, they found confidence in themselves that they could do it.”
