Andre Chiefs

Reading, MA- Brian O'Neil allowed no runs and only one hit in six innings as the Bulldogs shutout the Chiefs 4-0 in Reading on Sunday afternoon.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning when Darren Hartwell's two run single up the middle with the bases loaded gave the Bulldogs all the runs they would need against Chiefs’ starter Matt DiCato.

DiCato pitched himself out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the first inning when he experienced some wildness and walked three batters. He escaped by catching Pete Castoldi looking at strike three to end the inning.

Jeff Bercume singled to left (the Chiefs only hit) with two outs in the top of the third and got into scoring position by stealing second. O’Neil ended the threat by striking out Tony Deshler swinging at a fastball.

It remained a 2-0 game until Mike Taylor led off the Reading fifth with a solo homer to center. Sam McDonough came to replace DiCato and got out of the inning with two strikeouts.

The Bulldogs added a run off McDonough (W. Hartford CT/UMass-Amherst) in the sixth on a Hartwell single, two walks, and a sacrifice fly to right from Alex Fischer.

O’Neil (North Reading, MA/Bryant) struck out four and evened his record to 2-2 on the season. Brian Pedrotti worked a scoreless seventh for Reading despite issuing a couple of walks.

DiCato, now 2-1, went four innings plus and allowed six hits. He struck out four and walked four. McDonough, in his first appearance as a Chief, went two innings and gave up one hit while striking out a couple but issuing four walks.

The Chiefs are off until Wednesday when they host the Testa Corp. Bombers at Maplewood (Malden Catholic) at 7:45 PM.