Andre Chiefs

Medford, MA- Dylan Ellis won his fourth consecutive start of the season, this time a neat two-hit shutout over the Lexington Blue Sox, and Mike Baillargeon whacked two opposite field homers to lead the Chiefs to an 8-0 win at Tufts University’s Huskins Field on Tuesday. Ellis was once again in control from start to finish on the way to recording his fifteenth career win in a Chiefs uniform.

Former Boston College centerfielder Pete Frates opened the Lexington first inning with line single to right but Ellis promptly picked him off first. The pickoff proved to be big as Rollins’ Ben Hewett then drew a walk and went to second on a wild pitch. Steve Gath followed with the best hit ball of the night off Ellis, drilling a shot labeled for the left-center gap. Hal Landers got a good jump on the ball and made a nice running catch. Landers then threw to second to double up Hewett and end the inning.

Landers traded his glove for his bat and led off the bottom of the first with a double to left-center. Baillargeon then went the other way and drilled a Drew Brzozowski fastball over the right-field wall for a quick 2-0 Chiefs lead.   

 After Ellis got the Sox in order in the second, the Chiefs used five hits and three Lexington errors, to score four times in the bottom of the inning to take a 6-0 lead. The frame started quietly enough when Justin Crisafulli flew to Frates in center for the first out. Mike Andre got things started when he lined a Brzozowski pitch to right for a single. Bob McCarthy followed and drilled another single to right that Dan Capra let get away from him for an error, sending Andre to third. Brian Macrina then hit a RBI grounder to shortstop that scored Andre. Macrina went to second and McCarthy to third when the throw to get Macrina at first was low. After Landers flew out, Baillargeon hit a little chopper to third, which appeared he was going to beat out, scoring McCarthy. Hewett’s late throw to first went wide and Macrina came all the way around from second to score the Chiefs fifth run. When Mike Gedman followed with another RBI single that scored Baillargeon, the Chiefs were out to a 6-0 lead.

After a scoreless third inning, Frates led off the Blue Sox fourth when he beat out an infield single up the middle. He was quickly erased when Hewett bounced into a Baillargeon unassisted to first baseman Matt Anderson doubleplay.

The Chiefs lead went to 8-0 off reliever Mike O’Brien in the bottom of the fourth when Baillargeon hit his third round tripper of the year, scoring Landers ahead of him who had singled.  

Ellis, who lowered his ERA to 0.79, struck out five, walked two and allowed just the two singles to Frates. He threw 85 pitches and recorded his third complete game of the season.

The Chiefs homestand continues on Wednesday when they send Jared Freni (1-1) to the mound against the Watertown Reds at 6:00 PM.