Weekly sports roundup, July 1-8

It was a busy week as far as summer sports are concerned, and the baseball diamonds around Medford saw countless cleats over the past seven days. With multiple summer baseball leagues in action, as well as the Bay State Games, which stretch throughout July, getting underway, athletes from Medford were in action all week long across several arenas of competition.

Here’s a look at how the locals fared.

Bay State Games

Baseball

The baseball tournament go underway on July 5, in Waltham at Bentley University, and the Metro team, featuring three Medford athletes, grabbed a 9-6 win over West, overcoming two early deficits in the process. The game was called after the fifth due to the BSG’s two-hour time limit.

Metro trailed 6-3 heading into the fourth, but pushed across five runs in the frame, and went on to grab the win. Medford resident Jake Porrazzo (Malden Catholic), doubled and scored two runs in Metro’s win

Metro had less success against Northeast on day two, falling 8-5 against the regional neighbors. Porrazzo singled during the loss.

Bouncing right back on day three, Metro slapped Central around to the tune of a 15-7 mugging. 

Metro struck for six in the opening stanza, but Central rallied for five in the bottom half of the inning, and ultimately pulled level at 7-7 in the third. That’s when the dam burst for Central.

Metro reeled off eight unanswered runs, and ran away with a convincing win.

Porrazzo was 1-for-4 with an RBI and run scored, while Chuck Gibson (Medford High) was 1-for-2 with an RBI.

Sitting at 2-1, the Metro team would have to wait another day to resolve its Gold Medal ambitions, as the action on July 8 was postponed due to rain.

Ice Hockey

The Metro ice hockey team began play on July 8, and earned a 4-1 win over Coastal in the opener. Medford resident Ryan Ciavette (Matignon) combined with BC High standout Peter Cronin to record 43 saves in goal for the winners.

On July 8, Metro began the day with a 3-2 loss to Northeast, but rebounded to drop a 6-2 beating on West’s doorstep in the day’s second game. Metro sits a 2-1 as play continues.

Soccer

Medford High’s John Dumbuya, a junior, netted a pair of goals for Metro as they opened play at Waltham High with a convincing 8-1 rout over Central. Everett’s Eric Chajon, also a junior, bagged a brace as well.

On Friday, Metro was trailing 2-0 against Northeast, but Dumbuya erupted for a second-half hat trick to propel Metro to a 3-2 victory. They would lose their second game of the day, however, as Southeast edged out a 2-1 win.

On the girls side of the field, Metro is 1-2, and features Nicole Avella, Caroline Cirame, Cassandra Greene and Lauren Walsh from Medford, although none of those players have figured in the scoring so far.

Intercity League Baseball

Both Medford’s ICL franchises played twice last week, with the Andre Chiefs splitting their contests and the Medford Americans dropping two.

The Chiefs (7-5, fourth place) knocked off the league-leading Lexington BlueSox, 4-0, on July 5 as Jared Freni, a former UMass-Amherst twirler, three-hit Lexington and struck out 14. Medford native Mike Andre supplied the bulk of the offense with a three-run home run in the fourth.

The Chiefs lost 5-4 to the Arlington Trojans on July 7, despite a valiant comeback effort. ICL legend and Medford native Justin Crisafulli, regarded as one of the best power hitters in league history, and owner of most Chiefs batting marks, went 3-for-4 at the plate with a two-run homer, and Tony Deshler, a former Brandeis standout, went 2-for-4.  Keith Forbes took the loss for the Chiefs, and fell to 1-1 on the year.

The Medford Americans had less luck last week than their Medford rivals.

Watertown’s Brian Casey handcuffed the Americans batsmen on July 6, surrendering a mere three hits while fanning nine, to send the Reds to a 2-0 win at Playstead Park, which was showing clear and obvious signs that it is home to four summer league teams. Jose Polanco, Marcus Ulian and Mike Kalfopolous all singled for Medford.

Lexington downed the Americans in walk-off fashion on July 8, with two runs in the seventh inning. Medford is currently holding up the league standings with a 4-10 mark.

Yawkey League

The Medford Maddogs (10-3) played the East Boston Knights on July 6, and ran away with a 7-0 victory in an abbreviated five inning contest. The aptly-named Mike Victory picked up the win, pitching five innings, allowing five hits and no runs while striking out seven. The bulk of Medford’s offense was delivered by Mike Delaney, who posted two hits and four RBIs. Greg Wilson had two hits and two runs scored for the Maddogs as well. Medford currently sits in third place in the Yawkey League Ted Williams Division standings, but is even in the loss column with league-leading Malden.

American Legion

Medford Post 45 baseball team played three games last week, and came out on the wrong end of all three. Post 45 lost to Weston on July 2 at Playstead Park, and to Lowell on July 5 at Alumni Field, before heading into a July 7 clash with Wakefield at Playstead Park. Paul Covelle (Malden Catholic) drove in two runs, but they were the only two Medford could come up with and Wakefield scored a 5-2 win.