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Slow start, fast finish for Girard baseball
By Jim Flick
NILES
Turnabout was fair play Tuesday in the matchup between boys baseball teams from Girard and Niles High School
The Red Dragons (14-7) took their turn first, building a four-run lead after four innings.
But the Girard (15-5) turned the game around by storming back to score three runs in the fifth inning and three more in the sixth to defeat Niles 6-4.
Girard was led by pitcher Jim Melfi, a senior, who doubled in the sixth inning to drive in the runs that gave the Indians the lead. He was credited with three RBIs for the game.
Melfi also pitched a complete game to earn the victory, raising his record to 5-0. He struck out the side in the seventh to snuff out the Red Dragons’ last hopes. He recorded five strikeouts, and walked only two batters.
“I didn’t have my best stuff in the first few innings,” said Melfi, “but the defense bailed me out. It was a little cold today, so I started getting in a groove and started pitching better.”
The winning pitcher credited the Red Dragons with putting up a strong fight.
“They’re a good group of hitters,” Melfi said. “They really put the ball in play a lot. I just came up with a good approach and knew I could help myself out, and I did.”
Niles smacked 10 hits, compared to nine for Girard.
“We were down early and we came back,” said A.J. Devore, a senior who drove in two runs for Girard and had two base hits. “We put runs on the board and played good defense.”
The key to Girard’s comeback, said coach Jason Johnson, “was that we started swinging at better pitches.
“We came out of the gate a little rusty, a little nervous,” he added.
Niles scored a run in the first inning when senior Jake Foster doubled down the left field line for an RBI.
The Red Dragons boosted their lead to 3-0 in the second inning, when juniors Tyler Wiery and Noah Arvin each singled to drive in a run.
Arvin drove in another run in the fourth to boost Niles’ lead to 4-0.
Devore singled to center in the fifth to put the Indians’ first two runs on the board. Melfi followed with a single to right to pull Girard within a run, 4-3.
Senior Dan Graziano singled in the sixth to drive in the game-tying run.
Devore followed with a walk. Then Melfi smacked a double that drove in two runs and gave Girard a two-run lead.
Niles coach Mike Guarnieri said Melfi’s pitching was a key to the game.
“We got to Melfi early, but just couldn’t get him out of the game,” said Guarnieri. “He just settled in and shut us down.”