Andre Chiefs

Woburn, MA- Mitchell Clegg threw five innings of two-hit baseball, retiring the first nine batters he faced in a row, and the Chiefs got shutout innings from Matt DiCato (sixth) and Evan Walsh (seventh) when they knocked off the Mooney Dental Tanners 11-1 on Tuesday night at Ferullo Field.

The Chiefs banged out 16 hits led by Mike Barbati, who went a perfect 4 for 4, and Mike Andre and Mike Burgoyne, who had three hits each.

The Chiefs struck early, putting up a three-spot in the top off of the first inning against Woburn starter Pat Maher. Paul Yanakopoulos singled with one out and scored the game’s first run on Johnny Welch’s long RBI double to center. Mike Gedman was hit with a Maher pitch and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Mike Andre then singled to left, scoring Welch and Gedman, to give the Chiefs a 3-0 lead.

Clegg set the Tanners down in order, with a strikeout, in the bottom of the first and the Chiefs added a run to their lead in the top of the second. Burgoyne led things off with a double to left-center, stole third, and scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0.

Two outfield fly balls and a strikeout gave Clegg a rocking chair second inning and the Chiefs extended the margin to 6-0 in the top of the third. Barbati singled, Billy Mottram drew a walk, and Burgoyne singled, driving in Barbati with the fifth run. Tony Serino then singled, sending Mottram to third, and Yanakopoulos upped the score to 6-0 with a sacrifice fly to left.

Clegg had his strongest inning in the bottom of the third when he struck out the Woburn side in order.

The Chiefs made it a 7-0 game in the top of the fourth against reliever Chris McNall. Andre singled up the middle with two outs, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Barbati’s double to right-center.

The Tanners broke up Clegg’s streak when Corey O’Neil led off the Woburn fourth with an infield single. Bill Cuozzo then reached on a bad hop grounder and both runners moved up on a passed ball. Clegg struck out Chris Ruocco and Jake Cintollo followed with a single, scoring O’Neil, to make it 7-1. With runners at second and third, Clegg got the final two outs of the inning on groundouts to Welch at third.

The Chiefs’ lead went to 11-1 in the top of the fifth. Burgoyne led off with his third straight hit and Serino drew another walk. After Yanakopoulos popped up, Nate Witkowski drove Burgoyne home with an RBI single to left. Welch popped up for the second out before Gedman made it a 10-1 affair with a long double to right-center, scoring Serino and Witkowski. Andre followed with his third single of the game, with Gedman stopping at third, before Barbati completed his perfect night with a bloop single down the right-field line that plated Gedman. Both Mottram and Burgoyne lined out sharply to end the inning.

Clegg worked a scoreless top of the fifth and Mike Rodriguez came out of the Tanners’ pen to set the Chiefs down in order in the top of the sixth.

Matt DiCato worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth, including a strikeout.

Rodriguez gave up lead-off double to Witkowski in the top of the seventh before catching Welch looking at strike three, and then getting pinch-hitters Sam Wishnow and Ceciillio Guante to both ground out.

Evan Walsh got two outfield flies and a pop up to set the Woburn side down in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.

Clegg, now 2-0, struck out seven and walked one.

The Chiefs travel to Lexington High to meet the Blue Sox on Wednesday at 8:00 PM.
B.Tillman