Andre Chiefs

Malden, MA-Josh Desai threw three innings of superb hitless relief, picking up his first ICL win, to lead the Chiefs past the Melrose Americans 3-1 at steamy Maplewood Park on Monday night.

Desai came on to spell fellow lefty and Chiefs’ starter Andrew Chin, who was impressive in his own right, to begin the fifth inning. 

Chin and the Chiefs escaped a potential jam in the top of the first when centerfielder Tony Serino hosed out Will Shakleford (infield single) trying to go first to third on a John Jennings base hit.

Melrose starter Shawn Smeglin (0-1) and Chin, with two K’s in the top of the second, kept it a scoreless game until the Chiefs tallied a couple of times in the bottom of the second. Mike Gedman led things off with a double off the top of the fence in left-center. Peter Copa and Mike Andre then drew consecutive walks to load the bases. Veteran Mike Barbati gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead with a single up the middle scoring Gedman. Catcher Shane Stande followed and bumped the lead to 2-0, delivering Copa with a sacrifice fly to left.

Hunter Boyce led off the Americans’ third with a single, and after a fielder’s choice, Chin ended the frame when Matt Nuzzo gloved a liner at third off the bat of Nick Herzog and fired across the diamond to Copa for an inning ending doubleplay.

Nuzzo gave the Chiefs a 3-0 lead when he hit a solo homer to straight-away center with one away in the bottom of the third.

Chin experienced some control issues in the top of the fourth that led to Melrose’s only run of the night before pitching himself out of a bases loaded jam. Shakleford and Jennings drew one out walks and Malcolm Nachmanoff loaded the bases when he hit an artificial turf bouncing single over Nuzzo’s head. Chin then struck out Dave Center for the second out before his third walk of the inning to Kevin Kelley forced in Shakleford to make it 3-1. The former Boston College lefty rebounded and kept the Chiefs in the lead when he caught Boyce looking at a third strike to end the inning.

The Chiefs went quietly in the bottom of the fourth and Deasi came out of the bullpen and retired the side in order in the Americans’ fifth.

The Chiefs bid to pad their lead went by the boards in the bottom of the fifth after reliever Zeke Berg walked both Serino and Gedman but kept it 3-1 when he got Copa on a liner to right-center.

Deasi had another strong inning with two strikeouts in the top of the sixth and Berg matched that with two K’s of his own in the bottom of the inning.

Desai struck out Kelley to open the seventh, got Boyce on a grounder to Copa, before hitting pinch-hitter Mike LoRovere with a pitch. He sealed the win when he got Herzog on a two-hopper to shortstop Nate Witkowski to end the game.

Chin went four innings, gave up four hits and struck out four. Desai (1-0), struck out four in his three innings. 

Boxscore at www.Intercityleaguebaseball.com
Chiefs Chatter……Gedman doubled in the second inning in his first ICL at bat since August 23, 2015. He missed all of 2016…..Nuzzo’s solo homer was his first in the Intercity League. Before his career in the Cape Cod League and later with the Toronto Blue Jays, the former Everett High and Brown University star had six at bats with the Wakefield Merchants way back in 2006….Stande made his first ICL start behind the plate. The former Boston Park League standout delivered an RBI in his first at bat with a second inning sacrifice fly…..The Chiefs are expected to send Jared Freni to the mound on Tuesday night when they travel to Trum Field in Somerville to meet the Royals at 8:15 PM….The Chiefs and Americans tangle again on Wednesday at Morelli Field in Melrose at 7:30 PM…..
-Ian Roberts for ICL Baseball