Andre Chiefs

Malden, MA- Wayne Lundgren went six innings to get the win when the Reading Bulldogs beat the Chiefs 5-2 in Game Three of their best of five semi-final series on Tuesday night at Maplewood Park.

The Chiefs lead the series 2-1 with the fourth game scheduled for Morelli Field in Melrose on Wednesday at 8:00 PM.

The Bulldogs took an early 1-0 lead off Sam Kasten in the top of the first inning. Darren Hartwell reached on an infield single behind the third base bag and moved to second when the throw to first by Juan Portes skipped out of play. Kasten then walked Zac Talis, and struck out Kyle Devin, before Steve Busby's opposite field single to left scored Hartwell.

Following a scoreless second inning, the Chiefs took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third. Leadoff man Tony Serino singled and then scored on Portes' 17th career homer, and his second in two nights, to left-center.

The Bulldogs wasted little time and came right back and took the lead for good in the top of the fourth. Busby led off with another single, Mike Taylor drew a walk, and Rosario Missiti moved them both up a base with a sacrifice bunt. With the Chiefs' infield playing halfway, Chris Bosco plated Busby with an RBI infield grounder to Steve Gambale at second. Johnny Hayes was next and he delivered the game winner when he blooped a single to right-center that scored Taylor and put the Bulldogs in front 3-2.  

Tony Deshler gave the Chiefs a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the fourth with a one out double to center. Lundgren stranded him when he retired Portes on deep fly to left-center and then Copa on a comebacker to the mound.

The Bulldogs increased their lead to 4-2 in the top of the fifth on singles from Hartwell, Devin, and Busby, before Kasten and the Chiefs kept it a two run game when they turned an inning ending 4-6-3 doubleplay off the bat of Taylor.

A one out single to center by Gambale was all the Chiefs could generate against Lundgren in the bottom of the fifth and Kasten struck out two batters in a scoreless top of the sixth.

The Chiefs made a run at the Bulldogs in the bottom of the sixth but couldn't cut into the lead. Jordan Pallazola led off with a single up the middle. Busby, who had an outstanding all around game, then got a good jump on a Ryan Sonberg liner, that was headed for double territory, and ran it down in deep right for the first out. Ditto for Hartwell in center when he tracked down a Gambale shot to left-center for the second out. Billy Motram followed and drilled a Lundgren pitch into the left-centerfield gap. The Reading defense came up big for the third time in the inning when a text book Hartwell to Hank Oringer to Devin relay cut down Pallazola at the plate trying to score from first to end the inning.

The Bulldogs picked up an insurance run in the top of the seventh to make it 5-2.

The Chiefs went quietly in the bottom of the seventh when closer Steve Hueston got pinch-hitter Mike Barbati, Serino, and Deshler to all groundout.

Lundgren gave up eight hits and struck out four.

Kasten struck out nine but ended up allowing eleven hits in his seven innings of work.
Courtesy of Ian Roberts, Anthony Zeolie, and Steve Hartwell Photography