Malden Falls to Westford Academy in Tourney Opener

A week after punching the Westford Academy baseball team’s postseason ticket with a one-hitter against Newton South in the season finale, Brian Rosinski was at it again.

The talented moundsman wasn’t quite as dominant yesterday, but he was every bit as effective, leading the Grey Ghosts to a hard won 4-1 victory over Malden in the preliminary round of the MIAA Division 1 North Sectionals at Pine Banks Park.

Rosinski worked seven innings, allowing six hits and no earned runs as No. 17 Westford Academy (11-10) struck early and held on to send the 16th-seeded Golden Tornadoes home for the summer.

“We played well,” said Westford head coach Corey Roman. “We came out firing from the start.”

Malden Ace Bradley Applin took to the hill for Malden (11-10) and was solid, but came out on the wrong end of the decision, taking the loss. Applin fired 8 1/3 innings and allowed four runs—all of them earned.

“They’re a good team, a good hitting team,” lamented Malden head coach Kevin Carpenito. “The DCL is a good league, I give them a lot of credit...Bradley seemed to get stronger as the game went on, as he often does.”

Dan Lawson led the Grey Ghosts offense, going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and 2 RBIs, while Jake Mooney (2-for-4, HR, single, 2 runs scored) and Mark Hennessy (2-for-4, 2 singles, RBI) pitched in to help send WA through to the next round—where they will now face top-seeded powerhouse Lexington on Saturday at 5pm.

Malden was led at the plate by Marc Woodman who slapped a pair of singles and scored a run, and Chuck Gibson who collected a double and a single.

“I’m proud of them,” Carpenito said of his team. “We went through a lot of adversity this year, but we stuck together and got into the tournament.”

The Grey Ghosts wasted no time jumping on Applin yesterday, and after Malden’s ace retired the first two batters of the game, senior Mark Cornelius reached with a single, and promptly helped himself to second base. Lawson proceeded to double home Cornelius and Hennessy brought Lawson around with an RBI single, and just like that, Westford staked themselves to a 2-0 lead. 

It would prove to be all they needed.

“I think getting a couple of runs in the first was huge for us,” Roman said. “It took the pressure off a little bit, and (Rosinski) coming out and getting them one, two, three in the first was big.”

Rosinski handcuffed the Malden batsmen until the seventh inning, when the Golden Tornadoes scratched out a run, and were threatening for more when the Westford fireballer induced a ground ball to third with runners on second and third and two outs.

“Three innings we had guys in scoring position, but we never got the big hit,” said Carpenito. “But that’s baseball, that’s the way it goes.”

Cornelius spelled Rosinski on the mound for the Grey Ghosts, and Malden managed to put men on in each of the final two frames, but with two on and two away in the bottom of the ninth, Westford’s reliever made a tremendous catch on a short pop up to end the game.

Westford Academy will certainly have its hands full on Saturday, as the Grey Ghosts attempt to become the first team to defeat Lexington this season.

For Malden, the loss represented the final high school baseball game for seniors Kevin Valley (SS), Woodman (C) and Matt Howe (3B). Valley will be playing at Framingham State University next season, while Woodman will ply his trade at Northern Essex Community College.

“They’ve been great for three years,” said Carpenito. “All of them will be missed.”