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"Deja Vu All Over Again", Cassell-Chiefs Play Another 0-0 Tie
Medford, MA- Like Yogi Berra said “it’s déjà vu all over again”.
Last season Keith Forbes and the Chiefs ran into now New York Mets southpaw Jim Fuller and the two teams battled to a 0-0 tie. On Wednesday night another Cassell lefty, Tim Dunphy, matched Forbes pitch for pitch and the end result was once again a scoreless tie.
Both teams had some serious chances to break the scoring ice but when all was said and done, Forbes and Dunphy both kept their respective shutouts intact.
Things started real shaky for the Chiefs in the first when the first three Cassell batters, Teddy O’Reilly, Josh Mackey and Jimmy Roche, all reached base via two errors and an infield single. In typical Forbes fashion, the former San Diego Padre reached back and struck out Jeff Paquette, Ted Dziuba and Matt Basteri in succession to escape the major league jam.
The Chiefs threatened in the bottom of the first when Brendan Pyburn led off with a single. The Cassell defense did their best to mirror the Chiefs shaky start when Nate Leva reached on an error putting runners on first and second with no outs. Dunphy, who pitched professionally last season for the Namur Angels of the Belgian Major League, got the Cassell boys out of it by striking out Andrew Hanson, getting Justin Crisafulli to fly to center and Paul Koslowski to groundout.
Forbes got Cassell in order in the top of the second and the Chiefs got another runner in scoring position in the bottom of the inning. Mike Andre singled to right with one out and went to second when the throw back to the infield got away. Dunphy pitched out of it getting Matt Lawlor to fly out and Phil Costello to ground to first.
Neither team threatened again until Cassell got the first two runners aboard in the fifth on a Bob McCarthy single to left and a walk to Aaron Santos. Forbes once again stepped it up a notch and struck out both Matt Rogers and Mackey sandwiched around a O’Reilly flyout that ended the inning.
Lawlor singled leading off the Chiefs fifth and Costello sacrificed him to second. Dunphy pulled another escape when he got Pyburn to fly to left and Leva to lineout to right.
Roche led off with a single up the middle to start the Cassell sixth but was quickly erased when Paquette, who started this season in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, bounced into a 6-4-3 double play.
The night’s best scoring chance came in the Chiefs sixth when Crisafulli laced a single to left with one away. Koslowski followed with long bomb to right that certainly had home run distance but curled two feet foul. Dunphy regained his composure and got both Koslowski and Brenden Shepard to both fly out.
Cassell went in order in the top of the seventh and the Chiefs threatened once again to win it in the bottom half of the inning. Andre rapped his second hit of the night to right and speedy Mike Barbati pinch ran. Lawlor sacrificed Barbati to second but Dunphy became stingy one more time and struck out Costello and got Pyburn to groundout to end the game.
Forbes struck out twelve and allowed three hits. Dunphy allowed just five hits and struck out two.
The Chiefs remain in second place with a 7-3-3 record while Cassell goes to 10-1-1 on the year.
The defending champions Lexington Blue Sox visit Tufts University tonight (Thursday) at 6:00 PM. Righty Jose Pimentel (2-0), who pitched in the Padres organization last season, will get the start for the Chiefs.
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Merchants and Chiefs Settle for 3-3 Tie on Sunday, Monday vs. Ameriacns Postponed
Wakefield, MA- The Chiefs and Wakefield Merchants battled to a sloppy 3-3 tie at Walsh Field on Sunday evening. Both teams squandered chances to win the game and had to settle for one point each. With the tie, the Chiefs move into sole possession of second place with a 7-3-2 mark, good for 16 points.
The Merchants used singles from John Zaggaria and Steve Langone, an outfield throwing error and a miscue at shortstop to score an unearned first inning run and take a 1-0 lead off Chiefs starter Dylan Ellis (Gloucester, MA/Merrimack College)
The Chiefs capitalized on some equally shoddy Merchants defense to take a 3-1 second inning lead off Wakefield veteran starter and former Chicago Cub farmhand Steve Coffey. Justin Crisafulli and Paul Koslowski both singled and Mike Andre's infield grounder was thrown wide of first allowing Crisafulli to score. Torrid shortstop Brenden Shepard (Boxford, MA/Stonehill College) who is now 12 for 29, .414, then delivered Koslowski with a sacrifice fly to center for a 2-1 Chiefs lead. After Matt Boleski grounded out, catcher Matt Lawlor reached on another Merchant infield error allowing Andre to score that extended the margin to 3-1.
The Chiefs threatened to expand the lead in the third (Andrew Hanson leadoff single), the fourth (singles from Mike Andre and Lawlor) and the sixth (Nate Leva leadoff single), but came up empty on each occasion before the Merchants tied the game up.
In the sixth, Mike Sorrentino reached on a throwing error and Dana D'agostino drew a one out walk. Kevin Johnson then singled to right to load the bases. Closeer Chris Foundas (Needham, MA/Bryant University) was summoned from the bullpen to replace Ellis and experienced some control issues, walking both Matt Russo and John Davison to force in two runs before getting out of the jam with a strikeout and a popup.
The Chiefs got a runner in scoring position with one out in the seventh via a long Hanson gap double. Coffey stranded Hanson there when Crisafulli grounded out and Koslowski's long fly ball to right was tracked down by Taylor von Kriegenbergh to end the inning and another Chiefs scoring chance.
Foundas surrendered a a two out walk to Von Kriegenbergh in the bottom of the seventh but it ended in a tie when Doug Heald gobbled up Dana D'Agostino's grounder and fired to Koslowski at first to conclude the night for both teams.
Ellis worked 5.1 innings and allowed six hits while striking out one. Coffey, in his first start of the season, gave up eight hits and also struck out one in a gutty complete game effort.
Monday's scheduled game against the Medford Americans was postponed due to heavy rain showers.
The Chiefs and Americans will try again on Tuesday at Tufts at 6:00 PM. On Wednesday the Chiefs host the Cassell Club and on Thursday the defending champion Lexington Blue Sox pay a visit to Tufts.
"Friday Night Frights" Before Shepard Rallies Chiefs to Third Straight Win
Ace righty Keith Forbes took a no-hitter and a 3-0 lead into the last inning but the Tanners rallied for five big runs on a couple of walks, a costly infield error, an infield single, a passed ball and a bases loaded triple by Jon Smart.
Red hot Brenden Shepard ( 2 for 4, double, 4 RBI’s) bailed out the Chiefs out when he delivered a two out, two strike, two RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to give them the walk off win.
Closer Chris Foundas picked up the win in relief of Forbes. Forbes (2-0) worked six innings plus and allowed just the two seventh inning hits while striking out seven and walking four.
The Chiefs took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Mike Andre delivered Andrew Hanson, who had walked and stole second, with a two out single to rightcenter. It stayed a 1-0 game until the sixth when Shepard unloaded a long two RBI double to left. In the inning, Justin Crisafulli doubled with one away to the 354 foot sign in left and Mike Barbati pinch ran. Paul Koslowski walked and Andre popped up before Shepard brought both Barbati and Koslowski around.
The win was the third straight for the Chiefs and raised their record to 7-3-1 moving them into a second place tie in the ICL standings heading into Sunday’s game at Walsh Field in Wakefield at 5:30 PM.
Nine Run Inning Gives Chiefs 13-5 Comeback Win Over A's
Medford, MA- The Chiefs rallied from a 13-5 hole with a huge nine run sixth inning to get past the Gately A's 13-5 on Thursday evening at Tufts University.
Brenden Shepard was three for four to lead the Chiefs. Lefty Dylan Ellis picked up his first win of the campaign with 3.2 innings of scoreless ball in relief of starter David Garcia.
The Chiefs sent thirteen men to the plate in their nine run inning to win their second in row following yesterday's 7-1 win over the Watertown Reds.
Chiefs Go to 5-3-1 with 7-1 Win Over Watertown
Medford, MA- Chiefs pitchers Jose Pimentel, David Garcia and Chris Foundas combined on a one-hitter as the Chiefs beat the Watertown Reds 7-1 at Tufts University on Tuesday evening. Justin Crisafulli's bases clearing double in the sixth inning was the big hit for the Chiefs.
The Chiefs got out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Andrew Hanson and Crisafulli both singled with two outs and Matt Anderson reached on an error. Mike Andre followed with a tough hop infield single scoring Hanson.
The Reds quickly tied it in the top of the second on a single by Jason Hoye, a passed ball, a balk and a sacrifice fly from Brian McDavitt.
The Chiefs went ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the second on a Brenden Shepard double, a Brendan Pyburn single and a perfectly executed double steal.
It went to 3-1 in the fourth on singles from Paul Koslowski and Pyburn and an infield error. In the sixth, consecutive singles from Shepard, Pyburn and Nate Leva loaded the bases before Shepard raced home on wild pitch to make it a 4-1 affair. Hanson drew a walk to reload the bases before Crisafulli hit a deep shot to left center clearing the bases for a 7-1 lead.
Pimentel (2-0) picked up the win working five innings, striking out four, walking four and hitting a batter. Garcia worked one inning and Foundas went the seventh allowing one walk and striking out two.
The Chiefs finish off the week by hosting the Gately A's at Tufts on Thursday and the Mooney Dental Tanners on Friday with both games starting at 6:00 PM.
