Andre Chiefs

By Bruce Tillman
Malden, MA- The Chiefs bats erupted for 14 runs and 19 hits on the way to a 14-0 win over the Melrose Americans at Maplewood on Monday night.

Johnny Welch led the hit parade by clocking his first two home runs in a Chiefs uniform. Welch’s (3-4, 4 RBI) supporting cast included Juan Portes, who had a single, a double, a third inning grand slam, and five RBI, and the torrid Mike Barbati who went three for three with three RBI’s.

While all this offense was going on, Jared Freni (4-1) went five efficient innings to get the win. The righty had help from Nate Witkowski (6th inning) and Evan Walsh (7th inning) as the three combined on the five-hit shutout.

After a scoreless first inning, the Chiefs sent ten men to the plate and scored six times in the bottom of the second. Mike Andre got things going when he led off with a ground rule double. After Mike Gedman popped up, Peter Copa singled to center sending Andre to third. Consecutive singles from Barbati, Mike Burgoyne, and Tony Serino, scored Andre and Copa to give the Chiefs a 2-0 lead. Melrose starter Mike Peters (1-1) struck out Paul Yanakopoulos with the bases loaded before Portes drilled a grand slam to center to extend the lead to 6-0.

The Chiefs lead went to 7-0 in the third when Gedman tripled off the fence in right-center and scored on Copa’s sacrifice fly to right.

Doubles by Serino and Portes gave the Chiefs an 8-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth against reliever Dan Moran. Welch made it a double digit 10-0 lead with a homer to left. A walk to Gedman and singles from Copa and Barbati increased the margin to 12-0.

The Chiefs added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth when Yanakopoulos singled ahead of Welch, who hit his second homer of the night to right-center.

Freni struck out three and allowed four hits as his infield turned doubleplays in the first, third, and fourth innings. Witkowski gave up a two out single to pinch-hitter Jake Rayner in the sixth and Walsh struck out two of the three batters he faced in the seventh.

The Chiefs will send veteran Mike DiCato to the mound when they travel to Ferullo Field in Woburn on Tuesday night at 8:00 PM to meet the Mooney Dental Tanners. On Wednesday, they return to Maplewood to host the Arlington Trojans.