Announcement
Chiefs Blank Thunder 9-0, Dunphy Gets 35th Career Win
Malden, MA- Tim Dunphy threw five innings of two hit ball when the Chiefs shutout the Somerville Thunder 9-0 at Maplewood on Friday night.
With the win, the defending ICL champs move to 21-8 on the season and will play their final regular season game in Lexington on Sunday night at 8:00 PM. The Chiefs need a win in that game to secure a first game playoff bye. The Watertown Reds have concluded their season at 22-8 but the Chiefs would get the nod in a tie-breaker, having beaten the Reds in three out of their four meetings this year.
The Chiefs got a run in the bottom of the first inning when Tony Serino walked, stole second, and scored on Juan Portes’ RBI single.
The lead swelled to 7-0 in the bottom of the second as the Chiefs scored a half dozen runs, all with two outs. Thunder starter Mike Ganci walked both Mike Andre and Mike Burgoyne to start the inning. Ganci looked like he was on his way to escape the frame when he caught Danny DiMare looking at strike three, then retired Nick Leva on liner to third. Serino was next and he dropped a bunt down the third base line to load the bases. Billy Mottram then drew Ganci’s third walk of the inning, forcing home Andre to make it 2-0. Portes then drilled a Ganci pitch off the fence in left-center, scoring Burgoyne and Serino on the double to make it a 4-0 game. When Mike Gedman followed with another gap double, the Chiefs' lead went to 6-0. Ryan Sonberg then drove home Gedman with the seventh run with an RBI single.
The final two runs came in the bottom of the third when Burgoyne doubled to right-center, DiMare walked, and Leva was hit by a Ganci pitch to load the bases. After Serino flew to left for the first out, the Thunder threw away a potential doubleplay grounder off the bat of Mottram, allowing both Burgoyne and DiMare to score and increasing the lead to 9-0.
Dunphy allowed just a third single to Paul Pollano and fourth inning double to Jake Cintolo. The veteran lefty struck out five and improved his record to 5-1 on the season. It was the 35th victory for Dunphy in a Chiefs' uniform.
Evan Walsh worked a scoreless sixth for the Chiefs. Matt DiCato worked the seventh inning, striking out the Thunder side.
Ganci (0-3) took the loss for Somerville. Pollano worked the fifth and sixth innings for the Thunder keeping the Chiefs off the scoreboard.
The Intercity League’s playoffs are expected to begin next Tuesday.
