Andre Chiefs

Watertown, MA- Mitchell Clegg threw a no-hitter and his teammates uncorked a three home run, eleven hit attack, when the Chiefs broke out of a three game sleepwalk with a solid 6-0 road win over the Reds at Victory Field on Wednesday night.

Clegg, who was making his first start since June 10 when he strained an oblique, was impressive. The former Washington Nationals draftee struck out seven batters and needed 99 pitches to complete the first no-hitter of his Intercity League career.

Juan Portes gave Clegg all of the runs he would need when he drilled a solo first inning homer to left-center with two outs off Reds’ starter Jhonneris Mendez.

After Clegg struck out Kyle LaVigne in the bottom of the first, he walked Mac Jacobson before getting both Dan Chaisson and Ryan Pocock to fly out.

The Chiefs made it a 2-0 game in the top of the second when Peter Copa singled, Billy Mottram walked, and Mike Barbati singled to right-center to load the bases. When Mendez walked Tony Serino with the bases full, the Chiefs’ had their second run. Mendez kept it 2-0 when Mike Burgoyne grounded out to end the inning.

Steve Rogers drew a leadoff walk in the Reds’ second but was thrown out stealing by Nick Leva. Clegg then got two infield grounders to move the game to the third inning.

Portes drew a walk to open the Chiefs’ third before Johnny Welch doubled the lead to 4-0 with a bomb two run homer to straightaway centerfield. Not be outdone, Mike Gedman drilled the next pitch to right, resulting in back to back homers and a 5-0 Chiefs’ lead.

Clegg cruised through his best inning of the night when he struck out the side in order in the bottom of the third.

The Chiefs added another run in the top of the fourth on a Serino single, a walk to Portes, and a Welch RBI ground rule double to left-center.

The Reds had their best scoring chance in the bottom of the fourth on a walk and a hit batsman, but Clegg ended the chance when he retired Pete Burgio on fly to Gedman in left.

Copa and Mottram led off the Chiefs’ fifth with back to back singles. The Chiefs couldn’t add to their lead when reliever J.J. Branch got Barbati to lineout to second and Leva bounced into an inning ending doubleplay.

Clegg retired the side in order in the bottom of the fifth.

Portes gave the Chiefs another scoring chance with a two out double in the top of the sixth. He was stranded at second when LaVigne ran down Welch’s warning track liner in center.

It was another three up, three down, inning for Clegg in the bottom of the sixth.

The Chiefs couldn’t cash in on another double, this time by Copa, with one out in the seventh, when Chris Hendrix got Mottram and Barbati to both groundout.

The Reds had their best two chances to break up Clegg’s no-hitter in the bottom of the seventh. Serino made a warning track grab of a Pocock drive to center for the first out. Rogers was next and bounced back to Clegg for out number two. Burgio followed and he hit a hard grounder that skipped under Welch’s glove at third that the Reds’ official scorer ruled was an error. Clegg then completed the gem when he got Justin Forman to ground to Portes to end the game.

Clegg 2-1, had made four relief appearances since he returned from disabled list on July 10 tuning up for Wednesday’s start. The big lefty has now allowed just five hits, and struck out 20, in just 18 innings of work. With the no-hit effort he lowered his ERA to a team best 0.39.

It was the Chiefs' second no-hiiter of the season. Jared Freni threw an opening night no-no against Reading at Endicott College back on June 2.

MITCHELL CLEGG’S NO-HITTER INNING BY INNING:

1st Inning- LaVigne struck out swinging, Jacobson walked, Chaisson flew to RF, Pocock flew to CF
2nd Inning- Rogers walked and was thrown out stealing, Burgio grounded to SS, Forman grounded to 3B
3rd Inning- Brennan, Morganelli, and LaVigne all struck out swinging.
4th Inning- Jacobson struck out swinging, Chaisson walked, Pocock was HBP, Rogers struck out swinging, Burgio lined to LF.
5th Inning- Forman flew to RF, Brennan grounded to SS, Morganelli grounded to 2B.
6th Inning- LaVigne grounded back to P, Jacobson flew to LF, Chaisson struck out looking.
7th Inning- Pocock flew to CF, Rogers grounded back to P, Burgio reached on an error by 3B, Forman grounded out SS to 2B.

CHIEFS RECENT NO-HITTERS

July 29, 2015- Mitchell Clegg vs Watertown Reds at Victory Field (Win 6-0)
June 2, 2015-  Jared Freni vs Reading Bulldogs at Endicott College (Win 3-0)
June 12, 2013- Jared Freni vs Watertown Reds at Victory Field (Win 2-0)
June 30, 2011- Rob Machado vs Reading Bulldogs at Tufts University (Win 4-0)
July 9, 2011- Mike DiCato vs Mooney Dental Tanners at Tufts University (Win 9-0)
June 14, 2007- Keith Forbes vs Wakefield Merchants at Walsh Field (Win 2-0)