Andre Chiefs

Medford, MA-  The Lexington Dynasty continues.

The 1990's was the decade of the dominating Chiefs. The initial decade of the 2000's is firmly in the camp of the Lexington Blue Sox.

Rick DeAngelis' "Big Blue Army" made sure of that, when for the third consecutive summer and the sixth time in the last eight years, the ICL's championship series concluded with the Blue Sox once again being fitted for the crown.

The Chiefs playoff run ended late Sunday afternoon at Tufts University when the Sox shook off a 1-0 series defecit to take three straight games, the clincher being an 8-1 win.

The Blue Sox came to play early as they took a 1-0 lead off Chiefs starter and loser Ryan McNeill in the first inning. Red hot Peter Frates got things going when he led off and lined a single to right. McNeill uncorked a wild pitch and Frates took second. Things got worse for the Chiefs when Ross Curley dropped a bunt that McNeill threw late to first, putting runners on the corners with no outs. A Dan Graham fielders choice scored Frates with the first run. McNeill then hit Sean McElroy with a pitch and the Chiefs escaped the inning pretty cheaply when Steve Gath bounced into a 6-4-3 doubleplay.

Lexington's starter Drew Brzozowski set the Chiefs down in order in the bottom of the first inning. 

The Sox added an unearned run in the top of the second. Tom Haugh reached with one out when second baseman Mike Baillargeon bobbled his grounder. Jeff Nolet followed and delivered Haugh with a long gap shot double to make it 2-0.

Bailargeon opened the Chiefs second and reached second base when Anthony Santos misplayed his pop-up to short right field. Mike Andre stayed red hot and lined a single to right-center scoring Baillargeon to cut the lead to 2-1. The Chiefs looked to be in serious business when Dario Pizzano driilled Brzozowski's next picth into the left-center field gap for a double that sent Andre to third. The Chiefs could not put the tying accross as Andre was thrown out at the plate on Bob McCarthy's grounder and Brzozowski struck out Hal Landers to end the threat.

Nothing doing for either club in the third and the Sox made a big push toward the championship when they came up with four runs in the top of the fourth to take a 6-1 lead. Haugh walked and consecutive doubles from Nolet and Santos moved the margin to 4-1. After Frates grounded out to Brian Macrina at first, Curley delivered a fielder's choice RBI when he grounded to Baillargeon at second and Santos beat his throw home to make it 5-1. Chris Foundas came on in relief of McNeill and he hit Graham with a pitch. It went to 6-1 when the Chiefs could not convert on a McElroy potential double play ball.

Brzozowski set the Chiefs down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fourth. The Sox put it out of reach when they picked up a couple more runs off Foundas in the top of the fifth on a walk to Nolet, singles from Frates and McElroy sandwiched around a Graham double down the right field line.

A Macrina two out single was all the Chiefs could come up with in the bottom of the fifth and left-hander Connor Bishop came on to get the Sox side in order in the top of the sixth. 

Brzozowski worked another three up, three down inning in the Chiefs sixth.

Bishop, by a wide margin the Chiefs most effective pitcher of the day, retired the Blue Sox side in order again in the top of the seventh.

Mike Barbati, who had a pinch hit single on Friday, batted for Justin Crisafulli and Brzozowski got the first out of the seventh when he caught him looking. Pizzano then flied to McEvoy in left for the second out. McCarthy briefly put the Sox celebration on hold when he singled to left but the Sox put away another championship when pinch-hitter Matt Boleski flew to Graham in right to end the game.

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES NOTES-COMING SOON