Andre Chiefs

Medford, MA- Veteran righty Dave Marsters settled down and kept the Medford Americans scoreless over the last three innings as the Chiefs and Medford Americans battled to a hard fought 4-4 deadlock on Friday night at Tufts University.

The Americans jumped out to 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Steve Tahmoush led things off with a single to center and after a strikeout, ICL veteran Mike Kalfopoulos drew a walk. Mike Delponte chased them both home with a long double to left center to provide the Americans with a quick 2-0 lead.

Americans starter Zack Rubin held the Chiefs scoreless in the home half of the first and the Medford lead went to 3-0 in the top of the second on a Steve Panza single and a Tahmoush double to right field.

It stayed 3-0 until the bottom of the the third inning when the Chiefs came up with four runs to take the lead. After Joe Martini grounded to short, Brendan Pyburn and Nicky Dunn drew consecutive walks. Matt Lawlor then hit a grounder that was scooped up by Panza at shortstop and he was able to force Pyburn at third for the inning's second out. Justin Crisafulli followed and got the Chiefs on the board with a line RBI single to center that scored Dunn. Mike Andre then drew a walk and Phil Costello tied the game at 3-3 when he doubled to right center scoring Lawlor and Crisafulli. Matt Boleski gave the Chiefs their only lead of the night with a line single to center that scored Andre. Righty Kevin Hayes, who replaced Rubin on the hill for the Americans, averted further trouble when he got Chiefs rookie Nick Leva to bounce out to second base.

The Americans wasted no time and came right back to tie it up at 4-4 in the top of the fourth on a Panza double, a sacrifice bunt and a deep sacrifice fly to center off the bat of Jim Moriera.

The Chiefs threatened in the bottom of the fourth inning but could not score. Pyburn hit a one out double into the right field corner and Dunn drew his second walk of the game. Lawlor followed with a fielder's choice groundout that forced Dunn at second. Crisafulli was issued a walk to load the bases and the Americans escaped the jam when when Moriera made a nice play on a hard Andre one hopper to end the inning.

Marsters got Mike Burgoyne to fly out and Kalfopoulos to ground out to start the fifth. Delponte then singled but was gunned out by Lawlor trying to steal second to end the Americans inning. Hayes got the Chiefs in order in the bottom of the fifth, including a long warning track fly out by Boleski to the 379' sign in rightcenter, and Marsters held the Americans scoreless in the top of the sixth.

Pinch hitter Paul Crisafulli led off the Chiefs sixth with a line single to left and Connor Bishop came on to pinch run. Bishop went to second on a wild pitch and was sacrificed to third by a Pyburn bunt. That was as far as Bishop got as Hayes got both Dunn and Lawlor to pop up to end the inning.

Marsters struck out the first two batters of the seventh before Tahmoush singled and swiped second and then third. Marsters left Tahmoush stranded when he struck out his third batter of the inning.

Hayes got Crisafulli to pop up to begin the bottom of the seventh and Andre gave the Chiefs some hope to pull out the win when he followed with a single to center. Forbes pinch ran for Andre and Hayes ended things when Costello laced a line drive right at Panza at shortstop who easily doubled up Forbes, who was running on the pitch, at first.

Marsters allowed eight hits and struck out seven while walking three.

The Chiefs are back in action on Sunday at 8:00 PM when they travel to Pine Banks in Melrose to meet the Gately A's before returning to Tufts for a rematch with the Americans on Monday at 6:00 PM.