Andre Chiefs

Medford, MA- Bryant University right-hander Sean McNiff spun a complete game five-hit shutout as the Americans blanked the Chiefs 5-0 at Playstead Park on Sunday. The victory was the Americans fifth straight, the longest current winning streak in the ICL.

The first two and one half innings of the game were rapidly played as the Chiefs Mike DiCato and McNiff were both cruising right along. A leadoff single by Bob McCarthy, who was promptly erased on a 4-6-3 off the bat of Tim Dempsey, and a second inning walk to Justin Crisafulli were the only base runners that McNiff allowed in the first three frames.

DiCato was perfect through the first two innings before running into trouble in the bottom of the third. Joe Sheehan got things going in the Americans’ third with a leadoff single up the middle. P.J. Fulton sacrificed him to second and Mike Burgoyne followed with a double into the left field corner scoring Sheehan and giving the Americans their first run. Mark Addesa was next and he dropped a perfect bunt between first and the mound for to put runners on the corners. K.C. McCarthy then singled to right scoring Burgoyne to make it 2-0. Charlie Pagliarulo followed with a single to right-center scoring Adessa and jumping the lead to 3-0. DiCato kept the Chiefs in the ballgame and got out of further trouble when he got Mike DelPonte to ground into a 3-6-1 doubleplay.

Paul Yanakopulos led off the fourth with his first career ICL hit but he was erased when Dempsey hit into his second consecutive 4-6-3 doubleplay. Peter Copa then dropped a bloop single into rightfield but McNiff ended the inning when he got Mike Gedman to fly to Burgoyne in center.

DiCato escaped a two on, nobody out, jam in the bottom of the fourth and the Chiefs got a base runner in the top of the fifth when Mike Andre reached on an infield error.

The Americans increased their lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth. Addesa drew a leadoff walk and went to second on a fielder’s choice. Pagliarulo was intentionally walked and DelPonte grounded out to Yankakopulos at short who threw to third forcing Addesa for out number two. Mike Kalfopoulos then singled to left-center scoring Pagliarulo from second, making it a 4-0 game.

The Chiefs wasted a leadoff double from McCarthy in the sixth when McNiff got Yanakopulos on a grounder, struck out Dempsey and got Copa on a fly to right.

Tufts right-hander Pat O’Donnell replaced DiCato on the mound for the Chiefs to begin the bottom of the sixth and Sheehan greeted him \with a solo bomb to center, giving the Americans a 5-0 lead.

The Chiefs loaded the bases in the seventh but could not break into the scoring column. Gedman led off with a single, Crisafulli flew out, Andre was hit by a pitch, Anderson grounded out and Justin Sencabaugh reached on an error. McNiff ended things, and preserved his shutout, when he got McCarthy to ground to Addesa at short.

McNiff (3-3), scattered five hits, struck out three, walked one and hit a batter. DiCato (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season. The righty surrendered six hits (five in the three run third inning) struck out two and walked three in his five innings of work.

With the loss the Chiefs fall to 15-6-2 on the year while the Americans climb over the .500 mark to 11-10-1.

The Chiefs are off until Wednesday when they travel to Watertown’s Victory Field to meet the Reds in an early 6:00 PM start. The Americans are back in action on Tuesday when they head to East Boston Stadium, in search of their sixth straight win, against the Testa Corp. Bombers at 8:00 PM.