Andre Chiefs

East Boston, MA- A combined 20 strikeouts, 20 hits (many of the infield variety), and 26 men left on base led to another wild and wacky night at East Boston Stadium as the Chiefs and Bombers battled to a dramatic 3-3 tie in a curfew shortened eight inning affair.

Both teams had numerous chances to both and win and lose the game. Fittingly both clubs exited the artificial surface adjacent to Logan Airport with a point apiece. The Chiefs point came with a major tip of the cap to right-fielder Matt Boleski who made a tie-saving and game ending circus catch of a Mike Addesa seed in the bottom of the eighth with men on second and third.

For the Chiefs, the story of the game through the first six innings plus was the pitching of veteran lefty Tim Dunphy who, by a wide margin, has his best effort of the season.

Both teams squandered a number of scoring chances early and the game somehow remained scoreless until the top of the sixth. Bombers starter Jeff Rowan got out of a first inning bases loaded jam, struck out the side in order in the second, stranded a man 90 feet away in the third, left another at third in the fourth after two line drive infield outs, and retired the Chiefs 1-2-3 in the fifth.

Dunphy was wiggling in and out of trouble as well. The former Brandeis and Cassell Club standout surrendered two singles in the first, got out of a bases loaded (two infield singles & throwing error) nobody out quandary in the second aided by a huge 1-2-3 doubleplay, got the side in order in third, left a man at second in the fourth, escaped a two on jam in the fifth after intentionally walking former Cassell teammate Josh Klimkiewicz, and surrendered two more infield singles in the sixth.

Both the Chiefs and Bombers scored all of their runs in a bunch of three. The Chiefs runs came in the top of the sixth. Peter Copa reached on a single and Tim Dempsey walked. Justin Crisafulli followed and flew to center for the first out. Mike Andre then beat out an infield single to load the bases. The first run of the night came when Rowan hit Matt Anderson with a pitch to force in Copa. Boleski then hit a grounder to Addesa at third and he threw home forcing Dempsey for the first out. Pinch-hitter Tony Deshler drew a full count walk bringing Andre across with the second run. Bob McCarthy then singled to center scoring Anderson. Rowan left the bases full when he struck out Mike Barbati looking to keep it a 3-0 game.

Dunphy got out of the bottom of the sixth clinging to the 3-0 lead and the Chiefs appeared poised to break it open it the top of the seventh. Rowan walked Copa and hit Dempsey with a pitch. Lammare Rey replaced Rowan and after walking Crisafulli on four pitches to load the bases, he threw three straight balls to Andre before striking out him, Anderson and Boleski on the next ten pitches, all swinging, to end the inning.

That proved to be huge as the Bombers stayed within range and tied it up it the bottom of the inning. Mark O’Flynn led off with an infield single. Pete John then lined a single to right. Klimkiewicz followed with the third straight single, this one to left-center, loading the bases. Addesa then lined a Dunphy offering to center scoring John and Klimkiewicz to make it 3-2. With runners on first and second and nobody out, Stan DeMartinis then bounced into a 3-6-3 doubleplay with Addesa taking third. Isaac Oakley came on for Dunphy to face the right handed hitting Vin Eurizone. Eurizone beat out---you guessed it---another infield single, getting to first a half step of Copa’s throw from deep shortstop  allowing Addesa to score the tying run. The Bombers had a chance to win it when Oakley walked Anthony Serino sending Eurizone to second but he struck out Chris Smart swinging to send the game to extras.

In the top of the eighth, Barbati’s two out single and a walk to Copa gave the Chiefs an opportunity to re-take the lead. Rey waggled out of this predicament when he got Dempsey to fly to center to end the inning.

The last and most dramatic escape was yet to come. Oakley struck out Derek Sturkel to start the eighth and then hit O’Flynn with a 0-2 pitch to launch the histrionics all over again. Oakley reached back and struck out John with a fastball before Klimkiewicz hit a laser double to left sending O’Flynn to third. Addesa followed and it appeared that he had delivered the game winner when he hit a shot down the rightfield line. Enter Boleski. The veteran outfielder made a spectacular diving catch to rob Adessa and save an important point for the Chiefs as the night’s curfew brought a halt to the evening’s proceedings.   

At the end of the day, the Bombers had outhit the Chiefs 13-7 and both teams left 13 men on base. Of the twenty hits in the game by both teams, eight were of the infield variety.