BY CLIFF SMELLEY
The Melrose 16U All-Stars baseball team came out on top of a nine-inning affair in the semifinals before losing 8-2 to Manassas (Virginia) White in the championship game of the Southeast Region Tournament in Fort Myers.
Melrose went 3-0 in pool play to reach the semifinals, sparked by a seventh-inning, two-out rally in its first game.
It was a strong showing against teams from cities boasting populations of approximately 43,000, 90,000 and 452,000.
Big innings and coming up clutch
The tournament for Melrose began with a 6-2 win over Fort Myers’ West Coast American on July 16. Melrose trailed 2-0 entering the seventh inning, but got RBI doubles from Juan Oquendo and Cannon Sapp and another RBI from Ryder Trull to pull out the win.
West Coast scored its first run on a two-out single in the first and had scoring opportunities in the following three innings. Two runners were on with two outs in the second inning, which ended when pitcher Sapp recorded one of his five strikeouts. West Coast had two on with no outs in the third as a result of a walk and an error. Two strikeouts by Sapp and a fly out got Melrose out of the inning.
It was the same situation in the fourth as two errors put two West Coast runners on with no outs. After a sacrifice bunt, Melrose turned a double play.
Melrose loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, but a strikeout left the runners stranded.
After West Coast added a run in the sixth, Melrose entered the seventh inning down 2-0. Cody Musgrove drew a leadoff walk. After a fly out and a strikeout, Melrose was down to its final out. Oquendo hit an RBI double, followed by Trull hitting an RBI single, which tied the score.
Trent Peacock kept the inning going when he walked. Sapp then hit an RBI double to make it 3-2.
Another two runs scored when Aero Spangler reached on an error. Spangler later scored on a passed ball.
Sapp, who started on the mound, pitched three innings, allowing one run and two hits.
Peacock threw four innings, giving up an unearned run on two hits.
On July 17, Melrose got a two-run single from Trull as part of a four-run third inning in defeating Manassas White 4-3.
Melrose trailed 2-0 before the big inning, which began with Aiden Wosilek reaching on an error. Dylan Currington reached on an error before Oquendo drove in his team’s first run, reaching on an error as well. Trull then hit his two-run single before an error allowed Melrose’s fourth run to score.
Manassas’ leadoff batter reached on an error in the top of the fourth and scored after two consecutive singles.
Those would be the last hits for Manassas against pitchers Trull and Wosilek. Trull gave up three unearned runs and four hits while striking out three in six innings. Wosilek closed it out, allowing no hits and striking out one.
That same day, Melrose defeated Greenville (North Carolina) 7-4, with Oquendo hitting a two-run single as part of a four-run eighth inning.
Melrose went up 2-0 in the first. Oquendo and Trull hit a single and a double, respectively. Oquendo scored on a passed ball, while Brock Screen’s sacrifice fly brought Trull home.
The score remain unchanged until the fifth. Peacock walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and then advanced to third on a balk. After two fly outs, Peacock scored on a passed ball, putting Melrose up 3-0.
Greenville scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to force the extra inning, loading the bases on two walks and a single before hitting into two fielder’s-choice plays that scored two runs. A single into left scored the tying run. A ground ball to shortstop Oquendo ended the inning.
The top of the eighth began with Melrose’s Branson Byrd walking. After a Currington single, Holston Frazier hit a double into left that scored a run. Oquendo, who went 3 for 4, then connected with a 2-2 pitch for a two-run single. After Trull walked, Sapp drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to put Melrose up 7-3.
Greenville’s first two batters in the bottom of the inning were retired. The next two batters walked before a single made the score 7-4. Oquendo fielded a ground ball for the putout that ended the game.
Starting pitcher Wosilek gave up no runs and one hit, while striking out three in 2.1 innings. Peacock then entered to allow no runs and no hits in 3.2 innings. He had two strikeouts.
Frazier pitched the final inning to earn the win.
Sapp delivers in 9th for title-game shot
Sapp’s walkoff hit in the bottom of the ninth gave Melrose a 4-3 win over Lynnhaven (Virginia) in a July 19 semifinal game.
The teams had played three scoreless innings, with neither having scored since the fifth. Trull, who pitched the final 4.1 innings, retired the first two batters in the top of the ninth, but Lynnhaven then hits two consecutive singles. Trull got out of the inning, recording a strikeout on a 2-2 pitch.
Byrd reached on a dropped third strike to start the bottom of the ninth. Steven Carter then reached on an error, but the next two batters were put out on one pitch each. Screen was hit by a pitch to load the bases, setting the stage for Sapp. Sapp took the first two pitches for strikes and fouled off two straight to stay alive. He then drove a pitch into center field to drive in the winning run.
The game began with Melrose putting two runs on the board in the first. Oquendo singled, while Trull walked. Screen hit an RBI single, while Spangler, who finished 2 for 3, drove in a run on a ground out.
The second through fourth innings were scoreless affairs for both teams, but Lynnhaven then scored all three of its runs in the top of the fifth. Lynnhaven took advantage of three singles, a hit batter and two bases-loaded walks. Trull entered the game to pitch with two outs and the bases loaded. He struck out the first batter he faced to keep it a 3-2 game.
Trull, who allowed four hits, would finish with six strikeouts in all.
Starting pitcher Wosilek (4.1 innings) also struck out six.
Melrose evened it up in the bottom of the fifth. Byrd reached on an error, moved to second on another error and then took third on a passed ball. He scored on a Carter single.
The win set up a rematch against Manassas White, with the Virginia team coming out on top this time, defeating Melrose 8-2 on July 19.
Melrose loaded the bases with two outs in the second, with Sapp hitting a double, Peacock hitting a single and Musgrove walking. A strikeout, though, left everyone stranded.
Manassas scored its first run in the third, taking advantage of a leadoff double, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly.
Melrose’s deficit became 3-0 in the fourth, with Manassas loading the bases on two walks and a hit batter before scoring two runs on a ground ball to second.
In the bottom of the fourth, Melrose loaded the bases with one out as Sapp and Wosilek each hit a single and Spangler walked. After the second out, courtesy runner Kason Paulk scored on a passed ball before a ground out to third ended the inning.
Each team scored a run in the fifth, with Manassas getting a leadoff single and then (with two outs) a walk and an RBI single.
Melrose’s half of the fifth saw Byrd reach on an error. Carter hit into a fielder’s choice, which resulted with Byrd being put out at second. After a strikeout for the second out, Trull hit a single to score Carter and make it a 4-2 game.
After a scoreless sixth, Manassas pushed four runs across in the seventh, getting three straight hits to start the inning. Runs scored on two singles, a fielder’s choice and a passed ball.
Sapp and Trull had four of Melrose’s six hits, with each batting 2 for 3.
