Andre Chiefs

(Courtesy of MedfordAmericans.com) 
Medford, MA - Brian Casey returned to the familiar mound at Huskins Field on the campus of Tufts University where he enjoyed much college pitching success Wednesday night and made himself at home, throwing a rocking chair, complete game, three hit masterpiece to lead the Americans to a 7-0 victory over the host Andre Chiefs. 

In running his record to 5-1, Casey recorded his second shutout on the season and his fourth complete game. He allowed just four Chief base runners on three singles and a walk while striking out seven.

Chief's starter Chris Foundas (1-1) had control problems from the outset and took the loss. He walked three, hit two batters, struck out two, and allowed four earned runs on five hits in three full innings. Matt Boleski worked the Chief's fourth and gave up three earned runs on three hits and two walks. Chris Labriola shut the Americans down in the fifth and sixth on one hit and one walk while striking out three. Connor Bishop struck out one in finishing up a scoreless seventh, working out of a bases loaded one out jam following a pair of walks and a single.

The Americans got all the runs they would need before making an out in the first. Foundas opened the game by hitting Luke Begley and walking Dave Ahern and Mike DelPonte in succession to load the bases. K.C. McCarthy made him pay when he lined a base hit to the opposite field in left to score Begley and Ahern and give the Americans a 2-0 lead. The RBI were McCarthy's tenth and eleventh in just eight games played for the Americans.

They tacked on two more in the fourth. Ahern doubled to deep right with one out and DelPonte followed with a double to center to chase Ahern home with the third run. McCarthy was hit by a Foundas pitch to put runners at first and second. A Mike Kalfopoulos ground ball forced McCarthy at second leaving runners at the corners. Mike Ferriero walked to load the bases before Jay Olson's seeing eye single found its way into right field to drive home DelPonte and make it 4-0 after three.

Boleski took over on the mound for the Chiefs to start the fourth and was greeted rudely. Begley walked to open the frame and Ahern singled to left. DelPonte fouled to the catcher for the first out but McCarthy earned the second walk of the inning to load the bases. Mike Kalfopoulos stepped to the plate and lined a single down the right field line, scoring Begley and Ahern with the fifth and sixth American runs. Mike Ferriero then joined the hit list when he drove a Boleski fast ball over the head of Jeff Bercume in center that easily scored McCarthy with the seventh run. Ferriero was thrown out at third trying to stretch the double to a triple, ending the inning before Kalfopoulos could cross the plate with the eighth run. The rest was all Casey as he cruised to the victory, striking out the side in the seventh to end it.

With six regular season games to go, the Americans find themselves in third place with twenty-seven points, one point behind the second place Chiefs in the standings and nine points behind the first place Lexington Blue Sox.

The Americans return to Huskins Field Thursday when the Chiefs will again host their cross-town rivals. Dave Martin, another former Tufts University Jumbo pitcher, will be on the mound for the Americans in the 6:00 pm start. The Chiefs are expected to counter with rookie right-hander Rob Machado (1-2) of UMass-Amherst.