Sports
Red Raiders Baseball Earns Emphatic Win in Opener
The Melrose High baseball team whitewashed non-league rival Swampscott 12-6 in the season opener at Pine Banks Park behind a solid outing from Ryan Hardy and a colossal three-run homer off the bat off Connor Tryder.
The new season for Melrose High’s baseball team started off against a familiar opponent yesterday at Pine Bank Parks.
As you may recall, the Red Raiders playoff hopes were ended last season in the final game of the year at the hands of Swampscott in a closely contested 8-7 nail-biter.
Melrose (1-0) was able to repay the favor on opening day this season, earning a 12-6 win on the strength of five strong innings from Ryan Hardy, and a nine-run second inning.
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“I’m very pleased with it,” said Melrose head coach Bill Hirschfeld. “We did well hitting wise, (Swampscott) jumped out to a 1-0 lead, and we came back, the bats got going and the pitching was strong.”
Big Blue (0-1) struck first, collecting a run in the opening frame, but Melrose would answer back emphatically sooner rather than later.
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“Any win is good, put it that way,” Hirschfeld said when asked if there was an element of revenge present for his team. “There were a lot of kids whose bats came alive. If they continue that way, we’ll be happy.”
After being set down in order in the bottom of the first by Swampscott starter Tommy Keenan (0-1), the Red Raiders batsmen erupted in the second, for what would prove to be a definitive rally.
With the bases loaded, Dan Riordan singled in the innings first two runs, and Keenan walked in the next one, issuing a free pass to 1B Jake Brussard. With a man at every bag, Chris Burton swatted a bases-clearing triple, to make it 6-1. Melrose would push across three more runs in the inning and take a 9-1 advantage into the third.
Hardy (1-0) pitched five innings allowing two runs on two hits for the win.
Connor Tryder hit a mammoth three-run homer to dead center in the third, a distance of some 400-feet, to give Melrose the rest of its runs.
“It was an overall team effort,” said Hirschfeld. “Ryan threw the ball well and our bats got the job done.”
Things did get a little dicey for the Red Raiders in the final innings, as a late five-run rally injected a little drama into a contest where there had been little. Ultimately, Melrose was able to hang on and start the season off on the right foot.
The Red Raiders open Middlesex League play on Tuesday when they host Belmont at Pine Banks.
