Another gray day for the Magicians

MARBLEHEAD — Saturday’s weather was almost a perfect analogy not only for Marblehead’s baseball game against visiting Everett but for its season in general – a gray, dreary start that turned brighter for a few moments before the clouds, and disappointment, returned.The Magicians have lost four games by two runs or less, including two 1-0 decisions in a row to Swampscott and Peabody in April. Instead of hovering around a possible tournament berth, Marblehead finds itself at 4-11 after another frustrating loss, this time a 7-4 verdict to Greater Boston League title contender Everett.”We’re playing hard and that’s all I can ask for,” said Magicians head coach Jason Tarasuik. “I’ve seen a lot of good things and we just have to stay positive, stay focused and win innings.”After falling behind 6-1 on a second-inning two-run double and RBI single in the third from starting pitcher Steve Faia, Marblehead won the third inning and made a game of it again.Putting six of their first seven batters on base, the Magicians used a two-run line single to right field from catcher Tom Koopman to inch closer. Two batters later, Brett Leblanc was hit by a Faia pitch to force home a run and get Marblehead back within two at 6-4.But just as the sun peeked through the proverbial clouds, Everett (now 10-2) rained on the parade behind a little-used relief pitcher who seems to have the Magicians’ number.In the midst of a stretch of nine games over 12 days, Crimson Tide head coach Joe Lento planned in advance to have senior co-captain Mac Singleton see his first mound action of the season in the fourth inning, hoping he would hold Everett close enough for ace Zarif Pajazetovic to lock up the win in the seventh. But Singleton was so effective that the “Big Bosnian,” as Lento called Pajazetovic, didn’t have to leave his familiar third base spot.Lento had a good feeling about throwing Singleton out there, saying, “The last time Mac pitched was last year against Marblehead and he did a good job then. He works quick, he throws strikes and he has a nice curve.”Singleton was much better than a stop-gap, facing only two batters over the minimum in the last four innings, yielding just one hit, walking nobody and striking out seven, including a run of five Magician batters in a row.”We had a good plan,” Lento said. “Marblehead’s a scrappy team and their leadoff hitter (Connor Green, who had two hits and scored twice) is tough. We were honest with (Faia) going in that (we) weren’t going to overextend him, we’d bring in Mac and then Z would work his bullpen session (prepping for his potential GBL-clinching start against Medford today) in the seventh. But Mac pitched so well we couldn’t take him out.”Marblehead got its own quality relief performance from Jordan Chmara (five innings, two runs, four hits, four strikeouts and two walks) but Singleton was just a little better this time.”Jordan kept us in the game and gave us the opportunity to win,” said Tarasuik. “We really rely on him and he’s been doing a nice job.”We were one hit away,” Tarasuik concluded. “We had the bases loaded with one out in the third at 6-4 … (Everett) got their hits and their reliever did a nice job, but we’ll be fine. It’s not about the record, it’s about getting better, winning innings and winning games. We want to finish strong.”