Andre Chiefs

Malden, MA- The DiCato Brothers (Matt & Mike) each picked up a win as the Chiefs took both ends of a doubleheader from the Wakefield Merchants, 5-1 and 3-1, at Maplewood on Monday night.

Matt went the distance in a dominating first game performance, allowing just four hits, to get the Chiefs the win in the opener. Mike tossed 3.1 innings of one hit baseball to give his team the sweep in the nightcap.

Game One Recap
The Chiefs jumped out to a 2-0 first inning lead and never trailed in the game. Three consecutive singles from Tony Serino, Juan Portes and Peter Copa, along with fielder’s choice RBI from Nate Witkowski, led to the two runs off Merchant starter Connor Mahon.

The Chiefs lead went to 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning. Mike Andre led things off and reached on an infield chopper over the mound. Nick Leva followed and singled to right. Mike Barbati then moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt. After Mahon got Paul Yanakopoulos to ground out to Scott Searles at short, Tony Serino laced a single to right-center scoring Andre. When Serino tried to stretch it to a double he was thrown out at second before Leva crossed the plate to end the inning.

The Merchants broke through against Matt DiCato in the top off the fifth inning. James Ramsey led things off with a gap double to left-center. After Brooks Townsend grounded out, veteran Steve Langone doubled deep to right-center scoring Ramsey to cut the Chiefs’ lead to 3-1. Jon Davison was next and he flew to Yanakopulos in right and when Langone tagged and tried to go to third, he was thrown out for an inning ending doubleplay.

The Chiefs picked up a couple of more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Barbati led things off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Yanakopoulos. Serino then beat out a bunt single with Barbati moving to third. Portes followed and reached on an infield error allowing Barbati to score with Serino going to third. Copa then delivered Serino with a long sacrifice fly to left to make it a 5-1 ballgame.

DiCato got the Wakefield side in order in the top of the sixth and allowed a two out single to Ramsey in the seventh to close out his third straight win of the season. The righty struck out six and did not issue a walk.Mahon (0-3) struck out three and allowed just three earned runs.

The Chiefs picked up two runs off Wakefield starter Christian Ferlan, courtesy of Juan Portes, in the bottom of the third. Ferlan got Matt Boleski and Paul Yanakopulos to both ground out for the first two outs of the inning. Tony Deshler then drew a walk, stole second, and moved to third when catcher Joe Barry’s throw went into centerfield. Portes then gave the Chiefs the lead when he hammered a long two run homer to left-center.

Chotkowski blanked Wakefield over the first three frames. Wakefield came back in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 2-1 and could have gotten much more. Brooks Townsend drew a one out walk before Steve Langone laced a Chotkowski fastball to deep right for a double. Townsend tried to score on the play and was cut down on a nice relay from Mike Barbati to Leva. Bobby Losanno then drilled a triple to right-center scoring Langone. After Chotkowski issued a walk to Nick Murray, the Merchants had runners on the corners with two out. That was the night for Chotkowski and Mike DiCato was brought in from the bullpen to face the right hand hitting Joe Barry. With Murray running on DiCato’s first pitch, Leva caught Losanno wandering off third just far enough for a huge inning ending pickoff.

The Chiefs threatened but couldn’t add to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Andre and Barbati both singled and were bunted up a base by Leva. The Merchants and Ferlan escaped the jam when Boleski struck out looking and Paul Yanakopulos grounded out to second on a nice play by Murray.

DiCato gave up his only hit of the night when Scott Searles singled with two away in the fifth inning.

Ferlan kept the Chiefs off the board in the bottom of the fifth, despite a leadoff single from Tony Deshler.

DiCato had a strong 1-2-3 sixth with two K’s before the Chiefs picked up an insurance run for him in the bottom of the inning. Andre drew a four pitch walk and Rob Machado came on to pinch run. Barbati then bunted Machado to second before Ferlan hit Leva with a pitch. Brian DiRuzza came on in relief of Ferlan and Boleski greeted him with a line RBI single to right that scored Machado. When the throw home to get Machado skipped to the backstop Leva tried to go to third but was thrown out.

It was all DiCato again in the seventh as he got Lossano to fly to center, struck out Murray, and ended things when pinch hitter Jon Davison grounded to Barbati at second.

DiCato needed just 31 pitches to retire 10 of the 11 batters he faced, striking out four.

Chotkowski gave up just two hits, struck out five, but also walked five.

The 14-4 Chiefs are off on Tuesday and travel to Lexington to tangle with the Blue Sox on Wednesday at 8:00 PM.