Andre Chiefs

Malden, MA- Mike DiCato threw four innings of shutout ball and his former UMass-Amherst teammate Mike Gedman had a grand slam and a double to lead the Chiefs to 10-0 victory over the Melrose Americans on Monday night at Maplewood.

With the win, the Chiefs clinched themselves a spot in the 2014 ICL postseason.

DiCato stranded Bobby Rosano, who had led off the game with a single, at third base in the top of the first courtesy of an outstanding inning ending play by Peter Copa.

The Chiefs put up a couple of quick runs against starter Chris Hayes (0-4) in their first at bat. Tony Serino drew a walk and scored on Billy Mottram’s opposite field triple to left. Juan Portes made it 2-0 when he brought Mottram home with a sacrifice fly to left.

Mac Singleton hit a ground rule double to left with one out in the Americans’ second. DiCato kept Melrose off the scoreboard when he struck out Gianni Esposito and Shawn Doyle in succession to end the inning.

Hayes blanked the Chiefs in the bottom of the second and DiCato did the same to the Americans in the top of the third.

The Chiefs sent 13 men to the plate and scored seven times to put the game away in the bottom of the third. Mike Burgoyne started things off by drawing a walk and Tony Serino followed by dropping a perfectly placed bunt single. Mottram then lofted a fly ball down the left field line that was misplayed, allowing Burgoyne to score and sending Serino to third. Portes then lined a single to left, scoring Mottram, to make it 4-0. Johnny Welch drew a walk to load the bases for Gedman. The lefty unloaded them and doubled the Chiefs’ lead to 8-0 when he drilled a grand slam to left-center. Mike Peters came on to relieve Hayes and got Peter Copa to fly out for the first out of the inning, Mike Andre then doubled to right, Paul Yanakopoulos singled to left-center, and Burgoyne was hit by a pitch, to load the bases again. Serino made it a 9-0 game with an RBI fielder’s choice that scored Andre. Mottram then reached base for the third consecutive time when he drew a walk before Peters got Portes to fly out to right to end the frame.

Nothing across for either club in the fourth and Matt DiCato came on to work a scoreless top half of the fifth, allowing a hit and striking out a batter.

The Chiefs scored their tenth run in the bottom of the inning on a Gedman double that was sandwiched around two infield errors.

Southpaw Evan Walsh (Arlington Catholic/Bentley) worked the final two innings for the Chiefs, allowing just one hit.

Chiefs Chatter…..The now 16-6 Chiefs clinched a playoff spot as well as another season with a winning record…..The win was the 24th of Mike DiCato's Chiefs’ career…..Rookie Tyler Brinkley made a couple of nice plays at second base in the top of the seventh…..The forecast for heavy thunderstorms never came to fruition and the game was played without any delay…..The Chiefs are off on Thursday and travel to Summer Street Field in Arlington to visit the Trojans on Friday at 7:00 PM….Lefty Tim Dunphy (6-1) is expected to get the starting nod…..
B.Tillman-intercityleaguebaseball.com