Everett Little League stars capture Stage 1 in the Road to Williamsport

Young and his teammates defeat Melrose in the District 12 finale to advance to the Sweet 16  

By Joe McConnell

For the first time since 2014, the Everett Little League was able to capture the District 12 title in the annual Williamsport Tournament, and they had to do it the hard way this summer by coming out of the losers bracket with three straight wins, before defeating favorite Melrose in a classic pitchers duel, 2-1 on July 13.

The Everett stars opened up the district tournament with a win over visiting Malden, but then Charlestown knocked them into the unenviable losers bracket with a 5-3 triumph. But they rebounded nicely from that narrow defeat with three straight wins over Dorchester (4-3), Malden (7-6) and Charlestown again in the losers bracket final, 4-2, setting the stage for the Melrose Instant Classic.

The district final was played at Melrose, but Everett was the home team after winning the coin flip. Nick Young was Everett’s starting pitcher, and he set the tone early with two strikeouts in the very first inning.

In the home half, Young as the team’s leadoff batter was issued a walk. But Calvin Hoag, his counterpart on the mound, fanned the next three batters to end the frame.

Melrose had the game’s first threat in the second after Declan Flanerty singled, followed by a walk to Bryce Phillips. They then moved up to scoring position on a passed ball, all with just one out. But Young got out of the jam on a popup and another strikeout.

Troy Coke then doubled for Everett to leadoff the home half of the second, but was stranded there to squelch that potential threat.

Melrose’s Lincoln Schuyler broke the scoreless tie with a solo homerun in the fourth. But the Everett boys weren’t about to give up. Young walked to leadoff the home half of the fourth. Nick Savi then singled, and both runners eventually moved up into scoring position on a passed ball. With two outs, Young scooted home on another passed ball, and after a throwing error by the catcher that got by Hoag, while covering the plate, Savi utilized his speed to account for the eventual game-winning run.

“{Savi) is one of the smartest and hard-working kids on the team,” said manager Joe Young.  “He’s a perfectionist. He works so hard on his game, and this play was no doubt the result of that hard work and quickness.”

Young mesmerized the Melrose hitters once again in the fifth, while recording his 10^th strikeout of the game. He allowed just two hits over five innings. Caden Foley then finished the game on the hill for Everett in the sixth to pick up the save.

Foley whiffed two, including Schuyler, who was responsible for his team’s lone run of the game with his aforementioned round tripper. His strikeout ended up stranding Rocco Motroni on second with the potential tying run. Motroni was credited with a two-out double to the leftfield fence to keep his teammates’ hopes alive, albeit temporarily thanks to Foley’s coolness on the hill.

“When I talked to Caden on the mound after Motroni’s double, he wanted to face Schuyler, and he did just that to finish off this classic game in style,” said Young.  “It was a pitching duel for the ages that resulted in the program’s first district title since 2014.

“It’s been an amazing run so far,” added Young. “The kids have been playing amazing baseball, particularly (Savi), who has been behind the plate for every inning throughout the district tournament. He has been in complete control of the pitching staff, as well as each individual game.”

It’s now onto the State Section 3 Tournament at West Roxbury, the home of the Parkway Little League, from July 20-22. The championship game will be played on Sunday, July 23, with the winner going on to the state finals in Oxford.

Everett, again the best club in District 12, will be competing against Parkway, the District 10A champs; Wellesley, the District 10B victors; and Canton, the District 11 kingpins. Everett faced the host team on Thursday, July 20, to begin the sectionals after press deadline. Wellesley is its scheduled opponent later today, followed by Canton Saturday night.