Andre Chiefs

Medford, MA- After eight days the rain finally stopped.

Chiefs righty Mike DiCato never did.

The former UMass-Amherst and Malden Catholic star was nearly flawless once again, picking up his second straight win, as the Chiefs turned back the Wakefield Merchants 4-2 at Huskins Field on Thursday evening.

DiCato tossed zeros at the Merchants until the seventh when the visitors finally broke through for a couple of runs after the Chiefs had already opened up a 4-0 lead.

Wakefield threatened to grab an early lead in the first inning.  Rollins College's Josh Band led off with a single to center and the Merchants appeared to be in business when former Red Sox farmhand Steve Langone singled sharply past Peter Copa at third. Northeastern's Jason Roth was next and drove a ball that was earmarked for the right-centerfield gap. Wheaton rookie Hal Landers had other ideas as he got on his horse and made a nice back to plate grab with Band tagging and going to third on the play. DiCato then came up huge striking out UMass Lowell star Taylor Von Kriegenberg looking and ICL all-star catcher Mike Sorrentino swinging.

Trinity lefty James Ramsey got two outs in the bottom of the first inning before running into a bit of trouble when Jeff Bercume and Justin Crisafulli both reached on miscues. Ramsey escaped when he got Brian Macrina to ground to Alex LiDonni at third base ending the threat.

DiCato and Ramsey matched zeros in the second before the Chiefs broke through to take a 1-0 lead in the third. Shortstop Brendan Pyburn led off with a solid single to center. Ramsey got Bob McCarthy to fly to left and Bercume followed with the first of his three consecutive singles, this one a line shot to center. Sorrentino's errant attempt to pick Bercume off first base went into short right allowing Pyburn to scamper to third. Crisafulli's RBI fielder's choice then scored Pyburn for the game's first run. Ramsey caught Macrina looking to end the inning keeping it a one run game.

DiCato went into cruise control retiring the Merchants side in order in the third, fourth and fifth innings before the Chiefs gave him a little breathing room with three fifth inning runs. Pyburn drew a walk to get things started and a McCarthy sharp single to center moved him to second. Bercume then dropped a perfect bunt single to load them up for Crisafulli. The Chiefs all time RBI leader added two more to his career total of 370 when he drilled an opposite field single to right scoring both Pyburn and McCarthy that jumped the lead to 3-0. Dario Pizzano came on to run for Crisafulli and righty Kevin Flight relieved Ramsey for the Merchants. Flight threw Macrina's grounder wide of first allowing Bercume to score the Chiefs fourth run. J.P. Pollard flew to left for the inning's first out and Copa drew a walk to load the bases. Flight escaped more trouble when he got Landers swinging and pinch hitter Mike Andre, who was making his first appearance of the season on the road back from knee surgery, to ground to Langone at second.

The Merchants spoiled DiCato's shutout bid in the seventh. Von Kriegenberg led off and beat out an infield single up the middle. Sorrentino then gave the Merchants their biggest bang of the night when he drilled a double past the diving Bercume in center sending Von Kriengenberg to third. Kevin Johnson got the Merchants on the board with a RBI grounder to Pollard at first scoring Von Kriengenberg. LiDonni then grounded to Andre at third base for the second out with Sorrentino scoring on play. DiCato ended the proceedings in style when he struck out pinch hitter John D'Angelo swinging.

DiCato allowed five hits, struck out five and issued one walk. With the complete game 84 pitch outing, the Winthrop, MA native raised his record to 2-0 on the season. Ramsey suffered the loss for Wakefield and fell to 0-2. 

The Chiefs are right back in action on Friday at 6:00 PM when they host the Testa Corp. Bombers at Tufts University with Dan Lozeau drawing the starting nod. The Bombers got a complete game three hitter from Mike Hashem and defeated the Medford Americans 3-1 under the lights East Boston Stadium on Thursday night.

Wakefield
                                    IP      H     R      ER      BB      SO 
J. Ramsey L,(0-2)          4.0     8     4        3         2         3  
K. Flight                       2.0     1     0        0         1         2
Chiefs
Mike DiCato W, (2-0)    7.0      5     2        2         1         5