Andre Chiefs

Watertown, MA- Righty Matt Horan shutdown the offense on two hits when the Watertown Reds blanked the Chiefs 3-0 on Wednesday night at steamy Victory Field.

Horan and Chiefs' starter Mitchell Clegg hooked up in pretty decent pitcher's duel over the first three and one half innings. Clegg faced the minimum nine batters, allowing only a leadoff single to Jon Barber in the bottom of third who was cut down trying to steal second by catcher Jordan Pallazola. Horan was equally as tough, permitting only a single up the middle by Tony Serino with one out in the fourth.

The Reds broke through with the only run Horan would need on this night in the bottom of the fourth. Kyle LaVigne got things started with a single to center but Clegg picked him off for the first out. Liam O'Connor followed with an infield single that was allowed to roll and stayed fair between third and the plate. Sean Callahan-Montague was hit with a pitch and Clegg struck out cleanup man Dan Chaisson swinging for the second out. Justin Forman followed and drove O'Connor home, on a close play at the plate, with a single to center for a 1-0 lead. Clegg caught Mac Jacobson looking at a third strike to end the inning.

Mike Barbati reached on an infield single with two outs in the top of the fifth but third baseman Mike Samko recorded his third assist of the inning off the bat of Serino to retire the side.

Watertown opened up some breathing room in the bottom of the fifth when they scored two more runs. Samko doubled to right-center with one out and scored, on another close play at the plate, when LaVigne singled to center. LaVigne never stopped running when Barbati's throw pulled Peter Copa off the bag at first on an O'Connor grounder and slid safely across the plate on the third close scoring play of the game for a 3-0 lead.

Mike Burgoyne reached on a Jacobson error to open the sixth but Horan struck out Danny DiMare, got Copa on a grounder to Samko, and then retired Pallazola on a deep fly to LaVigne in center.

Mike DiCato spelled Clegg for the Chiefs in the bottom of the sixth and worked a quick 1-2-3 inning.

Horan kept the shutout intact in the top of the seventh when Mike Andre lined sharply to right, Ryan Sonberg popped up, and Nate Witkowski grounded to Jacobson to end the game.

Horan (1-1) struck out six, walked two and hit a batter. He avenged a 6-4 defeat to the Chiefs on June 27 when he was tagged with the loss. Clegg (2-2) went six innings, gave up six hits, struck out four and also hit a batter.

Chiefs Chatter....The Chiefs are off on Thursday and stay on the road and travel to Summer Street Field in Arlington on Friday at 7:00 PM for a date with the Trojans.....With the loss the Chiefs fall to 10-4-1 on the season while the Reds improved to 9-4-2.....The Chiefs welcomed back Tony Deshler who was in uniform for the first time since the 2013 season. Deshler has been an assistant coach at Elmira College for the last two seasons. He was with the team for four seasons from 2010-2013 and was a major factor in the 2012 championship.....