Patriots lose three tough ones

  About a week ago, it appeared the Revere High School baseball team was in a strong position to earn a state playoff berth. But since notching their eighth win with five regular-season games left, the Patriots lost three straight and needed to win their final two games of the campaign in order to make the tournament.

  Ten wins pretty much assures teams of a spot in the playoffs, and Revere had to score a win over Boston Latin on Wednesday and on the road at Gloucester on Saturday. The three defeats that dropped the Patriots to 8-10 were all close, down-to-the-wire battles in which they came up just short. On Monday, Revere rallied in the seventh before the potential tying run was thrown out at the plate to end a 5-4 Senior Day loss to Malden Catholic. Losses to Lynn English, 13-10 in eight innings, last Friday and Somerville, 3-2, last Wednesday consisted of similar scenarios.

  Against English at home, the Patriots fought back from a 5-0 deficit in the fifth inning and a 10-7 disadvantage in the seventh to force the contest to extra frames. English put up a three-spot in the top of the eighth while the Patriots could not muster a third comeback rally in their half of the inning.

  Last Wednesday’s loss to Somerville was more of the same. The Patriots got a stellar complete-game effort from ace righty Kyle Cummings (no earned runs). They loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh before a line drive turned into an out to end the game in Somerville’s favor.