Published May 14, 2021

By JENNIFER GENTILE

MELROSE—After two years, the Melrose Red Raider baseball team finally returned to Morelli Field for their 2021 home opener when they faced the Stoneham Spartans on Saturday, May 8. Melrose ran into a wall and fell in a 8-0 shutout and will look to rebound with a series of games against Watertown, whom they host Saturday morning at Morelli Field at 9:00 a.m. 

After the Spartan game, Melrose head coach Scott Searles gave his thoughts on the effort and the team’s early season. “I thought Stoneham did a great job taking advantage of the opportunities they had to put RBIs on the board. We knew they had decent pitching that gave a chance to win but they swung the bats pretty well. They have a couple of really good arms up at the top that should carry them and give a chance to make a run at it.”

SENIOR CAPT. Christian Carrieri and the Melrose Red Raider baseball team look to pick up a win over Watertown this weekend. (Raj Das www.edphotos.com)

It’s been two years since Melrose played, which essentially means Searles is crafting a brand new team. That new team has senior tri captains who will take care of business. Leading Melrose this season are senior captains Christian Carrieri, Mark Aylward and Eric McGovern. Says their coach, “These guys have done a really good job from a leadership standpoint. It’s not easy to organize the group in the off season during a pandemic with all the restrictions that have been put in place. They’ve done a very good job of getting everybody together and finding a way to get workouts in. More importantly, these guys want to get better.” 

“That said, it has been tough,” he continues of the year-off adjustment. “In most instances you don’t really know what you have returning. We don’t have a varsity inning back on our team. You haven’t seen these kids in two years and you haven’t seen your sophomores or freshman at all. For me personally, it was very similar to when I came in two years ago to a new program and had to evaluate everybody top to bottom. The only difference being, everyone else is in the same boat that you are.” 

Melrose has been creative while utilizing a variety of pitching options. In their season opener on the road at Stoneham High on Thursday, May 6, Melrose used pitchers Mike Overlan (starter) and Ronan Donahue. Melrose fell in a shutout while struggling at the plate. Says the coach, “Michael found a way to fight through it for three innings and limit them to one run, then Ronan came in and did a great job locating and mixing his pitches. He really kept them off balance for the last three.” 

Melrose also fell to Stoneham on Saturday at home when they hosted the Spartans once more. Christian Carrieri got the ball in game two and after three innings was relieved by Josh Madden, Gavin Donahue and Rowan Smith. Donahue and Smith each pitched a scoreless inning. But Melrose bats fell once again silent in the 8-0, two-hit, shutout. It was hard for Melrose to overcome Stoneham’s out of the park, three run homer in the fourth. In the two efforts, Stoneham did not give up a run to Melrose. 

Around the horn look for field positions to be fluid for Melrose. Expect Christian Carrieri to catch and Gavin Donahue and Ronan Donahue to play in the middle. “These positions are competitive,” confirms the coach. There is one area that Melrose shows strength in. “I’ve really liked what I’ve seen so defensively so far,” says Searles. “That said, we need to do a better job in all aspects of the game. The pitching will come with time. Offensively, we have to do better situationally.” 

So far, Mark Aylward has seen time in left field and Charlie Haggerty in center. Rowan Smith has started both games at third and Luke Desmond has started at first. Eric McGovern and Matthew Whelan have each started in right. Meanwhile, Trevor Botto, Liam Coen, Drew Harrington, Mike Richards, Rob Colozzo and Drew Harrington are all expected to see innings. 

With a slow start to the season, it’s worth noting a lack of hours on the field prior to their start. Mother nature hadn’t exactly cooperated before the opener. But Searles predicts Melrose will hit their stride. “It might be a little slow out of the gate, but I fully expect us to be hitting our stride by midpoint. Everybody in the program has lost out on a year and a half of development. The Middlesex League voted down off-season coaching. So kids missed out on last season and an opportunity [to train with coaches] in two years time. And, it shows from a developmental stand point. To compete in the state tournament really puts the pressure on us to play catch up.”

There will be a post season this spring, an opt-in tournament where records won’t matter. But first things first, Melrose has to continue to get their feet wet on the field. “The first two or three weeks are going to be spent getting our pitching arms where they need to be.” 

Melrose will look to pick up their first win when they host Watertown at Morelli Field on Saturday at 9:00 a.m.