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Sports

Melrose Weekly Sports Roundup

The Spring season got underway this past week in Melrose, with a full schedule of games. Here's a look at how the locals fared.

With wintry weather delaying a few games this week, the spring sports season started off the same way the last one ended: covered in snow. Several programs that were set to start play the weekend of April 1 saw postponements, but other than that, the spring season is officially in full swing, as Red Raider student athletes took to the playing fields this past week.

After its playoff chances came down to the final game last season, Melrose baseball missed out at the hands of Swampscott, falling 8-7. As luck would have it, the Red Raiders opening day opponent in 2011 was none other than Big Blue.

Melrose was able to repay the favor to a certain extent, handing Swampscott a 12-6 defeat behind five strong innings from Ryan Hardy, and a towering three-run homer off the bat of sophomore Connor Tryder. The Red Raiders are 1-0, and open Middlesex League play at Pine Banks on Tuesday, facing off against Belmont.

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The boys lacrosse team played a pair of ML contests, but failed to come away with anything.

Melrose (0-2) opened the year at Burlington on April 5, and was soundly defeated 11-2. CJ Hanson and Bryan Reale scored for the Red Raiders, while Eric Mercer collected an assist. The Marauders of Belmont High handed Melrose its second loss of the young season, beating them 12-4. Reale scored twice, while Hanson and Connor Mason added goals also. Paul Hanson had a strong game on defense for the Red Raiders.

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The Melrose boys lacrosse team plays at Woburn on Tuesday.

The girls didn’t have things any easier in their opening week, as they also failed to record their first win. Burlington erupted for a 20-10 win at Pine Banks on April 5, while the Tanners of Woburn stopped the Lady Raiders cold, notching a convincing 17-5 victory on April 7 in Woburn. Melrose (0-2) has a full plate this week, playing three times. The Lady Raiders take on Cambridge Rindge & Latin Monday in a non-league tilt, then back to the ML for back-to-back games with Lexington and Winchester on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Lady Raider tennis team was also in action on multiple fronts, and finished the week with an overall record of 1-2. 

Against Belmont, although Melrose ultimately fell 2-3, it was an extremely tight affair, and required a third set tiebreaker in the last match to settle. The tiebreaker was played in lieu of a third set as the sun was going down.

Sarah McGowan scored a win at second singles, defeating Choah Kim from Belmont in straight sets, 6-0 and 6-1. The Lady Raider second doubles team of Julie Mongeau and Natalie Kendall also earned a win, downing Juliet Barker and Stephanie Jean 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

The first singles showdown between Emma McGowan and Belmont’s Annie Hang proved decisive, but only after Hang won the tiebreaker 7-2.

Melrose next faced Watertown on April 7, and notched its first win of the year in blowout fashion, with a 5-0 whitewashing of their ML rivals. 

Emma and Sarah McGowan both won in straight sets at first and second singles respectively, as did Lydia Mays. At first doubles, Charlotte Mays and Shannon Tarpey won in straight sets as did Mongeau and Kendall at second doubles.

Melrose finished the week against another tough league foe in Burlington, and the Lady Devils edged out a 2-3 win. Emma McGowan forced a third set against Catherine Gianino, but fell 3-6 in the decisive frame. Sarah McGowan continued her fine start to the season and handled Erin Reilly in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1. Sarah McGowan is now 3-0 on the year.

Both doubles teams fell to the Lady Devils, while Mays scored a thrilling tiebreaker victory at third singles. 

The Lady Raiders play Monday and Tuesday at home against Woburn and Stoneham before traveling to Reading on Wednesday.

On the boys side of the court, facing an identical schedule, the Red Raiders ended with an identical 1-2 mark after the first week of competition, with the lone victory also coming against Watertown on April 7. The Melrose boys tennis team lost to Belmont 5-0 on April 6 and 5-0 to Burlington on the 8th. The Red Raiders travel to Woburn and face the Tanners on Monday.

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