Andre Chiefs

Malden, MA- Cooperstown is not asking for the tape of this one. Neither is anyone else.

On a Wednesday night when both teams could have easily been suspected of inebriated baserunning, the Chiefs held on for a 3-2 win at Maplewood over old friend Evan Walsh and the Arlington Trojans, mainly due the left arm of Mitchell Clegg. 

The Chiefs scored single runs in the first, third, and sixth innings, to take a three run advantage into the top of the seventh, before holding on for the win.

After Clegg set the Trojans down in order in the top of the first, the hosts took a 1-0 lead when Serino drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on Danny DiMare's infield grounder, and scored on Ryan Sonberg's RBI single.

The lead went to 2-0 in the bottom of the third when Mike Andre drove home Sonberg with an RBI single.

The Chiefs got what proved to be a big insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Mike Burgoyne tripled into the leftfield corner and scored on DiMare's two out RBI single to left.

While the Chiefs were building their 3-0 lead, Clegg was immense on the mound cruising through four 1-2-3 innings and allowing just two hits, both to Mark Webber, the first with one out in the fourth and the second with two outs in the top of the sixth.

The lead should have been much more as the Chiefs had three runners thrown out at second or third, one caught in a run down, and yet another picked off, as well as leaving seven others stranded.

Things became interesting and it appeared that the Chiefs basepath miscues would come back to haunt them in the top of the seventh. Rookie Sam Kasten from Mulhenberg College came on to start the inning for Clegg. Catcher Steve Lavasseur greeted him with a line single to right and when Justin Damarco drew a walk, the Trojans were suddenly in business with two on and nobody out. Kasten got the big first out when he struck out pinch-hitter Nolan Brennan, but he put the tying run on base when he walked Ryan Hood. Brother Kyle Hood was next and he bounced back to Kasten who threw home to Jordan Pallazola, forcing Lavasseur at the plate, for the second out. Mike Bridges was next and he bounced to Sonberg at third who made the play but threw the ball away, allowing both Demarco and Ryan Hood to score. Questionable baserunning fittingly ended the night when Copa retrieved the overthrow and threw out Kyle trying to advance to third.

Clegg (1-0), picked up his first win of the season striking out seven while Kasten picked up the rocky save.

Walsh, who was a reliever for the Chiefs in 2014 and 2015, took the loss and fell to 0-2. The Bentley University lefty surrendered two runs on seven hits in five innings before giving way to Graham Stack, who allowed a run and two hits in the sixth. Neither Trojan pitcher recorded a strikeout in the game.

The Chiefs are off on Thursday and will visit the Trojans in a rematch on Friday night at 7:00 PM at Summer Street Field in Arlington. They will then do a quick turnaround and come right back to play the Wakefield Merchants on Saturday morning at 11:00 AM in the ICL's annual Jerie DeAngelis Day of Baseball in Lexington. 
Game Story-Bruce Hack, Photos-Stephen Hartwell,
Boxscore at www.intercityleaguebase.com