Andre Chiefs

Medford, MA- Mike DiCato’s dramatic ninth inning single scored Nick Leva with the winning run as the Chiefs beat the Watertown Reds 3-2 in the rubber game of their best of three series at Tufts University on Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Chiefs move on to the ICL’s final four, meeting the Wakefield Merchants in a best of five semi-final series that is expected to begin early next week.

The Chiefs won the final two games of the series after dropping the opener 4-1 on Thursday. They tied the series up at a game apiece on Friday night as Tim Dunphy pitched them to a 3-2 win at Bentley University.

Watertown lefty Charlie DeFrancesco (Stonehill) and Chiefs starter Jared Freni (UMass-Amherst) were both immense over the first three innings. The only base runner Freni allowed was a one out walk to Steve Panza in the first. DeFrancesco was one better, retiring the Chiefs in order in each of their first three at bats.

The Reds broke the scoring drought in the top of the fourth. After Freni struck out Panza (his seventh K in 3.1 innings) veteran Steve Busby got the Reds going with single to right center, just over the leaping Mike Barbati’s glove. Catcher Sean Callahan followed and he delivered a double to right-center that scored Busby all the way from first to give the Reds a 1-0 lead. With Callahan at second, Freni got Mike Giordano to fly out before Brendan Casey singled to put runners on the corners. The right-hander left both runners stranded when he got Justin Forman to ground out to Barbati to end the inning.

DeFrancesco retired the first two batters in the bottom of the fourth before Mike Andre (pictured left) broke up his consecutive Chiefs retired streak at 14, when he singled to right. The Chiefs couldn’t do anything with their first base runner when Andre was left on base when Justin Crisafulli flew out. ce

Freni retired the Reds in order in the fifth (including his 8th strikeout).

The Chiefs finally got to DeFrancesco in the bottom of the fifth. After the southpaw struck out Matt Boleski to start the inning, he walked Barbati and Paul Yanakopulos (pictured left) in succession. Leva then popped up for the second out. Rookie Jon Byrne, who will be starting his senior year at Arlington Cathoilc in the fall, pinch hit for another rookie, lefty  Andy Cavanaugh. Byrne beat out a slow roller to the right side for a hit, getting to the bag a half step ahead of DeFrancesco. Jeff Bercume followed and blooped a seeing eye single to center, just out of the reach of three Reds, to score Barbati and Yanakopulos to give the Chiefs the lead for the first time in the game at 2-1. DeFrancesco got DiCato to fly to center to end the inning.

Busby and Callahan were at it again in the Reds sixth, when the duo combined to tie the game up at 2-2. After Freni got Panza on a grounder to Barbati for the first out, Busby lined a single to left and went to second when the ball skipped past Byrne. Callahan wasted no time in delivering his second RBI of the game when he singled off the 379’ foot sign in right, scoring Busby to tie the game at 2-2. Giordano then drew a walk before the Chiefs and Freni escaped further trouble when they turned a 4-6-3 doubleplay.

The Chiefs got Boleski to second with two outs in the sixth when the back end of an attempted 4-6-3 doubleplay was thrown into the Chiefs dugout. DeFrancesco got out of it when he got Barbati to fly to Busby in right.

Freni set the Reds down in order in the top of the seventh.

The Chiefs had their second opportunity to win it, in as many innings, in the home half of the seventh. After Yanakopoulos grounded out, Leva doubled into the left field corner. Byrne grounded to Panza at second for out number two, sending Leva to third representing the winning run. Bercume was issued an intentional walk and took second on defensive indifference. DeFrancesco kept the Reds in the series when he got DICato swinging to send the game to extra innings.

Rob Machado came on for Freni to start the eighth inning and retired the Reds in order.

Rob Machado Picked up win

The Chiefs had their third chance to win it in the bottom of the eighth. Andre led off with his second single of the day to right. Crisafulli was next and he hit a high chopper to third baseman Brendan Casey who threw him out at first with Andre taking second on the play. Boleski then drove a long shot to right-center that Chris Burke ran down on the warning track for the second out. DeFrancesco pulled another escape when he struck out Barbati, sending the game to the ninth.

The Reds threatened to take the lead in the top of the ninth. Callahan led off with his third hit of the day, this time a sharp single to left. Giordano then popped up his sacrifice bunt attempt to Leva for the first out before Machado walked Casey. Machado then recorded a huge K, when he got Justin Forman swinging. Chiefs’ fans had a few anxious moments when Machado plunked Steve Tramontozzi with a pitch to load the bases. He pulled an escape of his own when he got Dan Renzella to bounce back to him.

Yanakopulos drew a full count walk to begin the Chiefs ninth. After an unsuccessful bunt attempt, Leva drilled a single to left, sending Yanakopulos to second. Bryne’s attempted sacrifice bunt was just a bit too hard as DeFrancesco pounced off the mound to field the ball and fire a strike to Casey at third to force Yanakopulos for the inning’s first out. Bercume was next and he hit a grounder to Panza forcing Byrne at second but beating the relay to first to put runners on the corners with two away. In a mirror image of the seventh, Bercume took second on another defensive indifference. This time DiCato (shown left) provided a different ending, drilling a single up the middle, scoring Leva with the winning run as the Chiefs dugout emptied out in celebration.

(More Playoff Coverage Soon)