Announcement
Chiefs Take Game One in Wakefield, 6-3
Wakefield, MA- Lefty Tim Dunphy went the distance, taking a shutout into the bottom of the seventh, to lead the Chiefs to a 6-3 win in the opening game of their best of five semi-final series against the Wakefield Merchants at Walsh Field.
With the win, Dunphy goes to 6-1-1 on the year and 2-0 in the playoffs.
Dunphy was matched up against Wakefield’s Jarrod Marchesi, the former Bentley University standout.
The Chiefs got two out singles from Mike Andre and Justin Crisafulli in the top of the first inning before Marchesi struck out Matt Boleski swinging to end the threat.
Scott Searles singled with one away in the Merchants first but Dunphy got catcher Mike Sorrentino to hit into a doubleplay started by Chiefs’ shortstop Mike Baillargeon.
Two more Chiefs got aboard in the top of the second. Mike Barbati led off and was hit by a Marchesi pitch. Paul Yanakopulos then flew to centerfielder Jason Roth for the first out. Rookie Jon Byrne then reached on an infield error but Marchesi got another rookie, Andy Cavanaugh, to pop up and Jeff Bercume on a strikeout to end the frame.
Dunphy got his second doubleplay in two innings in the Merchants’ second inning after Lorenzo Papa singled but was erased on 3-6 (Boleski to Baillargeon) twin killing.
Crisafulli gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead with two outs in the third inning when he launched a solo shot to left.
Dunphy recorded two strikeouts in the bottom of the third inning.
The Chiefs picked up four runs, sending nine men to the plate, to take a 5-0 lead in the top of the fourth. The inning started quietly enough when Marchesi got Barbati to ground out. Yanakopulos got things going with a single to center and Marchesi surrendered a second single to Byrne. Cavanaugh then reached on a fielder’s choice with Byrne being forced at second for out number two. Bercume then hit a slow roller to first that was misplayed for an error, allowing Yanakopulos to score to make it 2-0. The Chiefs picked up their third run when Baillargeon’s grounder to third was thrown away with Cavanaugh scoring and Bercume going to third and Baillargeon to second. Andre was next and he lined a Marchesi fastball into the right-center field gap scoring Bercume and Baillargeon to open the lead to 5-0.
Andy Cavanaugh runs down Mike Sorrentino's fly
Dunphy got the Merchants in order again in the bottom of the fourth and Marchesi only allowed a one out Yanakopulos single in the top of the fifth.
Roth singled to lead off the Merchants fifth before Andy Hartung grounded to Andre at third for the first out. Jon Davison then singled to center to put runners on the corners with one out before Dunphy got Dale Crispin to bounce into Wakefield’s third doubleplay of the game to end the inning.
Andre launched a long two out double to center in the top of the sixth and Dunphy set the Merchants down in order in the bottom of the inning.
The Chiefs made it 6-0 in the top of the seventh when Yanakopulos singled with two out, stole second, and scored on Byrne’s opposite field single down the right field line.
The Merchants finally broke through against Dunphy and made things a little interesting in the bottom of the seventh. Consecutive singles by Mike Sorrentino, Papa and Roth loaded the bases with nobody out. Hartung then delivered a long double to left, on which Bryne slipped, allowing Sorrentino and Papa to score to make it 6-2. Davison followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Roth, to cut the lead to 6-3. Dunphy then re-assumed control and ended the game when he got Crsipin on a grounder to Barbati and struck out Dom Sorrentino.
Game Two is scheduled for Tufts University on Thursday at 5:30 PM.
