Published June 28, 2019

MELROSE — The Tigers and White Sox opened up playoff baseball with an epic nine-inning little league battle on June 10. Both teams benefited from superb starting pitching, with Quinn Mathews of the Tigers and Tom Butler of the White Sox keeping the bats at bay.

Mathews recorded 11 strikeouts in five-plus innings, while Butler fanned 10 of his own in six innings.

With the game extending into extra innings, Timmy Rosell of the Tigers and Noah Fay of the White Sox continued the precision on the mound for both teams.

Cadel McKeown led the White Sox offensive attack with two hits and a run scored. Dylan Terranova chipped in with a double off the Conant fence.

Quinn Fogarty was one of the offensive stars for the Tigers, contributing four hits and scoring three runs. Fogarty also made the defensive play of the game when he threw a ball on a line from center field to home plate where Dylan Harrington caught the ball and swiped the tag in one motion. As good a play you will see at any level.

With the score still tied in the bottom of the ninth, Keegan Moloney stepped to the plate with two outs and Fogarty on base. Moloney crushed a ball deep into the Conant brush, leading the Tigers to a 4-2 walk-off victory. Fans are still talking about one of the best little league games they had ever seen, a game where there truly was no loser.

A’s beat Jays in nine

In all three 2019 matchups, with the top-seed Blue Jays defeating the Athletics in the prior two, the Athletics again led off with a two-run first. The A’s powerhouse top of the lineup consisting of Ray Willis, Jack Thompson, Nathan Sullivan, Jack Skinner and Colton Sullivan did not disappoint.

Nate Geer and Anthony Kiatos pitched for the Blue Jays. Anthony scored three runs and Nate had an RBI along with five other Blue Jays.

For the Athletics, Jake Costello drove in three runs from the 11 spot, Max Ryan, Brendan Titley, and Will Bidgood again contributed as a formidable middle part of the lineup and Sawyer Terranova and Ned Giacomo continued to maintain an excellent on-base percentage with runs scored through intelligent plate appearances and base running. The defense was anchored by Ray Willis, Jack Thompson, Jake Costello, Sawyer Terranova and Max Ryan.

For the Blue Jays, William Dardani scored and laced two singles. Sean Irvin, Cooper Kovacs, Joseph Fauci and Joseph Coughlin all contributed to a strong defensive showing for the 1st place Blue Jays. William Beach (two-time former Athletic) was a continued force at and behind the plate and Jack Sarazen added a clutch RBI single in the 2nd.

The big bats at the top of the lineup propelled the A’s to victory in the top of the 7th after a clutch Tanner Kovacs RBI single tied it in the bottom of the 6th.

Willis, Thompson and Skinner combined to pitch the A’s to their second 2019 playoff victory.

League Announcements

Registration for the 2019 Jimmy Fund Summer Baseball is now open on the Melrose Little League Website at mnll21769002.sportssignup.com/site/

Please follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/melroselittleleague and on Instagram at instagram.com/melroselittleleague.