Andre Chiefs

Reading, MA- Justin Crisafulli had a four for four night, including a double and homer number 90 of his career, to lead the Chiefs to a 6-3 win over the Bulldogs in Reading on Monday evening. Crisafulli’s offensive show backed the complete game effort of Jared Freni who raised his record to 7-1 on the season.

The Chiefs staked Freni to a one run lead in the top of the first. Jeff Bercume led off the inning with an infield single behind the first base bag. Bercume stole second and scored on Vinny Pennell’s RBI single to left. Crisafulli followed with an infield single but Reading starter Sean Boyle got out of the inning when he got Mike Andre to hit into a 6-3 doubleplay.

Freni set the Bulldogs down in the bottom of the first and the Chiefs added a couple of runs in the top of the second to take a 3-0 lead. Tony Deshler and Matt Boleski got things started with consecutive singles and Mike DiCato moved them to second and third with a perfect sacrifice bunt. Nick Leva's slow roller to the right side, with the infield back, allowed Deshler to score and when the grounder was mishandled, Leva reached first. Bercume then drove in Boleski with the Chiefs’ third run with a sacrifice fly to left. Mike Baillargeon followed with a single to right-center sending Leva to third. It stayed 3-0 when Boyle got Pennell to ground out to end the inning.

Freni escaped a minor jam in the Bulldogs’ second when Andy Gagnon singled and Nick Kelley walked.

The Chiefs added their fourth run in the top of the third inning when Crisafulli led off with a long double off the base of the fence in left-center, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Andre’s bad hop infield single.

The Bulldogs stormed back in the bottom of the third inning, scoring three times, on five singles (Brett Flutie, Billy Cataldo, Trevor Manzi, Alex Fischer and Kelley) cutting the Chiefs’ lead to 4-3.

The Chiefs wasted little time in answering the Reading rally, scoring two runs in the top of the fourth inning when Crisafulli hit a two run homer to left-center, scoring Bercume, who had singled, ahead of him.

Freni retired Reading in order in the bottom of the fourth and the Chiefs went quietly in the top of the fifth.

The Bulldogs’ appeared poised to make their second run of the night at closing a Chiefs’ lead in the bottom of the inning. Manzi led things off with a single. Andre then turned in the defensive play of the night when he snagged Fisher’s one hop bullet that was labeled for the left field corner to start a crisp 5-4-3 doubleplay.

Freni and Reading reliever Mike Nich both tossed zeros the rest of the way accounting for the 6-3 final.

Freni, allowed eight hits, struck out four and walked a batter. Boyle (1-3), who gave up only three earned runs in his five innings, took the loss.

The Bulldogs enjoy a night off on Tuesday while the Chiefs stay on the road and visit the Blue Sox in Lexington at 8:00 PM