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Record-setting pitcher McMahon is masterful on mound; D’Anna, Rivera-Fuentes, Layne fuel 6th inning runs rally
Special to The Advocate
Heroes are born each year during the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament. In Thursday’s Division 1 preliminary baseball game at B.M.C. Durfee High School, Malden senior outfielder Thomas “TJ” Lynch put on his superhero cape. With two outs and the tying run just 90 feet away, Hilltopper senior Will Labrie hit a line drive in the gap in right center that appeared to be heading for extra bases. But Lynch made a miraculous, sliding, diving grab that ended Durfee’s season.
“It feels great right now,” Lynch said after the No. 37-seeded Golden Tornados (15-6) stunned the No. 28 seed Hilltoppers, 3-2, before a large gathering at the Joseph “Skip” Lewis turf baseball field.
“It’s our first state tournament win since I’ve been here. It feels good to back up my pitcher.”
It was actually the Malden baseball program’s first state tourney win in 14 years, since 2012, ending a long drought. This is the fourth straight season Malden has made it to the postseason — the first state tournament win in that span.
Senior Ryan McMahon, who is the all-time winningest pitcher in school history (23) and strikeout leader (272), gutted out the win in his 110-pitch, complete-game outing. In the course of the game, McMahon also surpassed 200 career innings pitched, another school record. The Hilltoppers (10-11) had McMahon on the ropes several times in the contest but could not get him out of the game.
“We had our chances earlier in the game and throughout,” said Durfee junior starter Matt Sherry, who ended with a no-decision on the hill. “We just did not capitalize.” Hilltopper Head Coach Mike Martin needed time after the game to digest the outcome in a game filled with close plays and calls.
One play — a balk call — negated a double by Ethan Travers that would have placed runners at second and third with one out. Travers was involved in another play in which he was called out at third when it looked like he avoided the tag, but was clearly out of the baseline, anyway.
“Give those kids on Malden credit. They were competing and shortening up their swings. They were putting the ball in play. Those were not big swings. It’s things like that myself and the staff have been preaching to the guys all year,” Durfee coach Martin said.
Durfee opened the scoring in the fourth inning on a bases-loaded walk to Ethan Travers, who also recorded a double. Sherry was sailing along on the hill before running into trouble in the top of the sixth. After one out was recorded, back-to-back doubles down the right-field line — first by sophomore pinch hitter Jaylen Fuentes Rivera and then by sophomore leadoff hitter Nicholas D’Anna — knotted the game at 1-1 to knock Sherry out of the game. A ground out off the bat of Devin Otero Milonopoulos, versus reliever and Durfee ace righty Will Labrie, plated D’Anna to give the Golden Tornados the 2-1 lead. A wild pitch then scored McMahon, who had singled to right field earlier in the inning. Pinch runner Cam Medeiros scored on a wild pitch for the Hilltoppers to cut the margin to 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth. That set the stage for Lynch Jr.’s heroics in the seventh.
“We get a couple of guys on in the final inning. If that ball gets down it’s a tie game and if the ball gets by him, I’m sending the runner home from first to be thrown out. That kid [Lynch] made a great play,” Coach Martin said.
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Malden fought hard, but season ends with loss on road to #5-ranked Catholic Memorial, 6-2
With the win, Malden (15-6) went on to face No. 5 seed Catholic Memorial (12-8) in the Round of 32 on Sunday. The Golden Tornados fought hard and got a tremendous pitching performance from senior righty Billy Gavin (6 Ks, 4 earned runs) in a complete-game effort, but fell, 6-2, and saw its season end with a 15-7 overall record. Sophomore Nick D’Anna had a tremendous game, going 2-for-3 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored. He also had a strong game defensively. The sophomore middle infield of sophomore shortstop and sophomore second baseman Davante Layne (1-for-2, walk) was also outstanding, turning 2 double-plays. Seniors Ryan McMahon and TJ Lynch were outstanding defensively in the outfield.
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Malden coach: ‘Best catch ever seen to end a State Tournament game’
By Nick Toscani
Malden High baseball Head Coach Steve Freker is no stranger to the MIAA Division 1 State Baseball Tournament. Thursday’s trip to Fall River to take on the #27 seed Durfee B.M.S. Hilltoppers made it an even 9-0 — as in ninety — postseason games he’s coached. With a 58-32 State Tourney coaching record, the Golden Tornado coach has also seen a lot of playoff success.
In Thursday’s 3-2 win in the preliminary round over Durfee, the Malden High coach saw something for the first time in a coaching career in its 42nd season. “That was the best catch I have ever seen to end a state tournament game in my life, to end ANY game, really,” Coach Freker said, talking about the miraculous sliding, diving grab his senior captain TJ Lynch made to end the game as the final out. With two Durfee runners on base and two outs, the home team would have won the game had Lynch not made the catch and sealed the win instead.
“I watched ESPN Sports Center that night and in my opinion, our play would have been #1, easy!” the Tornado coach said. Malden actually DID try to see if ESPN would pick it up for its “Top Five Plays” segment. MHS Administrative Assistant Sophia Casaletto filled out the form and swiftly submitted the entry.
“Apparently it didn’t make it on TV, that’s OK,” Coach Freker said, “but we all got to see it ‘live’ and that’s all that counts. We all got to see something we will remember the rest of our lives.”
