Red Raiders advanced with a 8-3 win
Published in the June 15, 2018 edition
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—The Melrose Red Raider baseball team played one of their most impressive defensive games of the season on Thursday, June 7 when the Red Raiders advanced to quarterfinals by beating Wakefield, 8-3 in the opening round of playoffs at Morelli Field in Melrose.
The win paired Melrose against #1 seed Masconomet on Saturday, where they fell 7-4 to end their season. (see accompanying story)
Melrose senior captain Mike Muscarella took the win for the Red Raiders, pitted against Wakefield’s number one, Robert Shaw. Melrose’s Harry Kelley finished in relief and pitched a scoreless 1 1/4 innings. This contest represented Melrose and Wakefield’s third meeting of the season, with Melrose winning the spring series, 2-1.
“This was a great defensive game and our infield and outfield made some great plays out there,” noted head coach Bill Hirschfeld.
MIKE MUSCARELLA earned a 8-3 win over Wakefield in Melrose’s playoff opener. (Donna Larsson photo)
On the flip side, Wakefield committed many errors that Melrose capitalized on, and helped the Red Raiders take leads of 2-0 and 4-2 early in the game. But Melrose’s bats were on fire all day, and they put Shaw in the hole in the first inning when they loaded the bases on a hit by Mike Koytikh, a walk by Mike Fennell and a Will Dolaher walk. Mike Muscarella knocked in Koytikh to make it a 1-0 game.
Previously, Muscarella had retired the side in the first, and in the second, he retired Brendan Coughlin, Tommy Motto and Chris Coombs, allowing just a Tyler Pugsley double that resulted in him stranded on base. Melrose made it a 2-0 game in the bottom of the second when Mike Fennell knocked Joe Stanton in courtesy of an infield error by Wakefield. But the Warriors tied it up in the third when Cal Tryder drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Cole Kraus, followed by a sac fly by Jake Nardone that scored Gabe Sanders. Muscarella stuck out Brendan Coughlin to end the inning.
Melrose added two more runs in the bottom of the third when Will Dolaher hit a single and later scored on a pass ball. A Wakefield error at second scored Jack Sullivan, giving Melrose a 4-2 lead they never gave up. The Warriors kept Melrose on their toes in the fourth when Eric Hickey attempted to run out a ground ball to first but a spectacular play by a leaping Jack Sullivan at first who quickly tagged the runner out. And at the plate, Charlie Stanton tossed out a stealing Gabe Sanders for the second out of the inning. But the real show stopper was Mike Koytikh in center field, who made a diving catch off a Jake Nardone bomb. Melrose got out of the inning safely and maintained their lead.
The fifth inning took Wakefield essentially out of the game in 4 run frame that began when Jack Whitley advanced to first on an error, pinch runner Robert Mele stole second and beating out the throw to home on a Joe Stanton hit. Mike Koytikh also beat out a throw at first and a Mike Fennell double scored Joe Stanton.
Wakefield reliever Chris Alden entered the game and after retiring Will Dolaher, allowed Mike Muscarella to score on a wild pitch. Melrose held a 8-3 lead that would represent the final score of the game. Muscarella struck out two Warriors before relieved by Harry Kelley on the mound, who, in the seventh, struck out Cal Tryder looking to end the game.
