Andre Chiefs

Wakefield, MA- Jared Freni limited the Merchants to two singles, and his mates backed him with ten hits, when the Chiefs turned back Wakefield 4-1 at Walsh Field on Wednesday night.

After a scoreless first inning, the Chiefs got to Wakefield starter Scott Searles for a couple of runs in the top of the second. Mike Gedman got things started with a single to right-center. After Mike Barbati bunted Gedman to second, Paul Yanakopulos tripled to left, scoring Gedman for a 1-0 Chiefs’ lead. With the Merchants’ infield drawn in, Matt Boleski singled past shortstop Nick Murray to score Yanakopulos giving the Chiefs their second run. Searles got Adam Lucey to ground out and Tony Serino to pop up to end the frame.

A two out single from Anthony Cruz is all the Merchants could generate against Freni in the bottom of the second.

The Chiefs’ lead went to 3-0 in the top of the third when Johnny Welch hit an absolute moon shot solo homer into the trees beyond the left-field fence. For Welch, it was his league leading fifth round tripper of the season.

The Merchants narrowed the margin to 3-1 in the bottom of the third. John Grossi drew a leadoff walk and Bobby Lossano blooped a single to right. Both runners moved up a base on Nick Murray’s sacrifice bunt. Mike Sorrentino then hit a chopper to right of the mound that scored Grossi, with Freni throwing out Sorrentino at first on the play. Freni ended the threat when he got James Ramsey swinging to end the inning.

Freni and Searles matched blanks over the next two innings before the Chiefs added a run in the top of the sixth. After Gedman grounded out, Barbati doubled into the left-centerfield gap. Yanakopulos followed with a line single to center, scoring Barbati, increasing the lead to 4-1. Boleski then singled to center before Searles kept it a three run game when he got pinch-hitter Billy Mottram to pop up and Serino to fly to Sorrentino in left.

Freni walked Sorrentino to lead off the Wakefield sixth before Ramsey grounded out, Kevin Mortimer struck out, and Jon Davison on lined out to Mike Burgoyne in right.

Burgoyne led off the top of the seventh with a long double to left-center but the Chiefs couldn’t capitalize. Seales got Juan Portes to fly out, struck out Welch swinging, and retired Gedman on a deep fly to Lossano in center.

Freni sealed the win when he dispatched the Merchants in order in the bottom of the seventh by getting Cruz to fly to Serino in center, and then striking out Joe Barry and Grossi in succession to end the night.

Freni struck out seven and walked three. With the win, he raised his season mark to 7-2 on the year. Searles (0-1) surrendered ten hits, struck out four, and didn’t walk a batter.

Chiefs Chatter….. Wednesday’s win was the Chiefs fifth in a row….The Chiefs hit the twenty win (overall) plateau for the seventh year in a row and for the 20th time since they became the Andre Chiefs in 1989….Mike Barbati remains torrid at the plate and has taken over the top spot in the ICL batting race. The veteran second baseman currently checks in at lofty .441, ahead of the Watertown duo of Kyle LaVigne (.423) and Sean Callahan-Montague (.406) as the only three ICL hitters above the .400 mark….. The Chiefs have four of the top six hitters in the league as Mike Andre (.375), Juan Portes (.375) and Johnny Welch (.373) occupy the fourth, fifth, and sixth spots…..Welch leads the league in homers with five and RBI’s (tied) with 22. Andre is third league-wide with 20 RBI while Portes is sixth with 18…..The Chiefs played Wednesday’s game without Peter Copa or Andre in the lineup…..The Chiefs travel to Morelli Field in Melrose to meet the Americans on Thursday at 7:30 PM…..Bruce Tillman for www.andrechiefs.com