Andre Chiefs

Medford, MA- The Chiefs battled back from a 2-0 fifth inning deficit, scoring single runs in the fifth and sixth, eventually taking a 3-2 extra inning win over the Lexington Blue Sox at Tufts University.

In the process, Jared Freni overcame a rough first inning and pitched his way out of a few tight spots to throw blanks the rest of the way and pick up his eighth win of the season.

The Blue Sox jumped out to a quick 2-0 first inning lead on singles from Tommy Bourdan, Ross Curley and a double from Dave Ahern.

It stayed a 2-0 game as Steve Bodnar kept the Chiefs off the board until they scratched out a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Mike Barbati led off with a single, went to second on Paul Yanakopulos’ grounder and to third when Nick Leva bounced out to Curley at third. He scored the Chiefs’ first run when Bodnar threw a wild pitch with Tony Serino at the plate.

The Blue Sox threatened in the top of the sixth when they got leadoff singles from Curley and Steve Gath. Freni escaped to keep it a 2-1 game when he got Jeff Vigurs to fly to Tony Deshler in left and then Ahern to bounce into a 6-4-3 doubleplay.

The Chiefs tied it up in the bottom of the sixth. Deshler led off with a walk. Juan Portes was next and he hit a ball down the leftfield line that Tommy McKenna made a nice diving catch on for the first out. The Chiefs caught a break when Copa hit an infield grounder, forcing Deshler at second, before the relay to get him at first was thrown into the Chiefs dugout allowing Copa to go to second. The Chiefs took immediate advantage as Nate Witkowski then singled up the middle, scoring Copa, to tie things up at 2-2.

Neither team could score in the seventh and the game moved to extra innings.

In the Blue Sox eighth, Dan Capra led off with line shot down the right field line and Matt Boleski, who had come into the game a half inning earlier as a pinch runner for Leva, turned in the defensive gem of the day when he robbed Capra of extra bases with a diving catch. Freni then struck out Bourdon before walking Curley, who then moved into scoring position by stealing second. The scoring threat went by the board when Freni got Gath to fly to Serino in center.

The Chiefs won it in the bottom of the eighth. Bodnar hit Deshler with the first pitch of the inning and he then stole second. Portes then drilled a single to right with Deshler being held at third with nobody out. Sean Gustin came out of the Sox bullpen and Copa was issued an intentional walk to load the bases for Witkowski. The count went full before Gustin walked Witkowski, on a very close pitch, to force in Deshler with the game winning run.

Freni, allowed six hits, walked one, and struck out four while raising his record to 8-0.

Bodnar (1-2) took the loss despite surrendering just five hits and striking out two. The righty however walked four and hit two batters.

The Chiefs play the Melrose Americans at Maplewood Park (Malden Catholic) in a doubleheader on Monday with the first game scheduled for 6:30 PM.