Melrose (7-7) earns league wins over Stoneham, Watertown
Published in the May 18, 2018 edition
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—The Melrose Red Raider baseball team’s fight for a postseason was made easier when they took two of their last three games against Freedom league opponents this week, improving to 4-2 in the league and 7-7 overall.
Melrose started their winning ways on Friday when they traveled to Stoneham to take on the Spartans and walked away with a very solid, 9-2 victory. Melrose junior hurler Harry Kelley picked up the win for Melrose, and senior Joe Stanton pitched two scoreless innings of relief. The Red Raiders broke the game open with a six-run second inning, while Melrose junior Liam Crovo hit a solo shot in the fourth to bolster the lead.
Melrose was looking for run support for Kelley, who scattered four hits in five innings of pitching, and got that in the second inning when Mike Koytikh, Jack Sullivan and Cam Mackenzie loaded the bases on hits and were driven in by a two-run double by Joe Stanton (2-2, 2 RBIs) to give Melrose a 2-0 lead. Senior Mike Fennell (3-3, 3 RBIs) followed that lead with his own two-run double that scored Mackenzie and Stanton. Hits by Liam Crovo (1-2, 2 RBIs) and Charlie Stanton set up an RBI double by Harry Kelley (2-3, 1 RBI) over the center fielder’s head that gave Melrose a big lead of 6-0 at the end of the second.
HARRY KELLEY helped lead the Melrose Red Raider team to a 9-2 win over Stoneham on Friday, May 11. (Donna Larsson photo)
Melrose scored again when Liam Crovo hit an out of the park homer to lift Melrose, 7-0, in the fourth. A single by Fennell scored Muscarella (2-3 at the plate) and let Melrose take a 8-0 lead. Muscarella scored Sullivan in the sixth to make it a 9-2 game.
Joe Stanton came into relief in the fifth in an 8-2 game and tossed three strikeouts, including the game-winner.
Fueled by the win, Melrose traveled to Walsh Field in Wakefield on Saturday morning for a key league contest against Wakefield (6-6) and fell in a heartbreaker, 1-0. Melrose senior Mike Muscarella threw a beauty against the Warriors, but saw a solo shot by Gabe Sanders in the fifth inning determine the game. Wakefield’s Robert Shaw took the win on the mound, scattering 4 hits and no runs in seven innings.
On Monday, Melrose traveled to Watertown to take on the Raiders and battled to a hard-fought 3-2 win behind the pitching of Will Dolaher. Details at press time were not available.
Coming up, Melrose will battle Freedom rivals Wakefield and Burlington on Wednesday and Thursday (post-deadline) at home at Morelli Field. Winning both games will greatly increase their chances of postseason play.
Remaining Schedule
Wed 5/16/18 v. Wakefield, 3:45
Thu 5/17/18 v. Burlington, 3:45
Sat 5/19/18 @ Swampscott Tourney, 1
Wed 5/23/18 @ Milton, 4
Fri 5/25/18 v. Wayland, 6
Sat 5/26/18 v. Memorial Day Tourney, TBD
