Andre Chiefs

Watertown, MA- Right-hander Jared Freni tossed a no-hitter as the Chiefs shutout the Reds 2-0 on Wednesday night at Victory Field.

For Freni, it was the first no-hitter of his ICL career which began in 2006.

The former UMass-Amherst and Malden Catholic ace raised his record to 2-0 on the season and gave the Chiefs their fourth straight win.

Freni outdueled Babson righty Nick Ahearn (0-2), who was also outstanding on the mound. Ahearn allowed just six hits and was victimized by an infield error and some tough luck when a fly ball was lost in the twilight sky.

The only runs of the game came in the top of the third. Nick Leva led off with a single and was forced out at second on Tony Serino’s infield grounder. The Chiefs caught a break when Tony Deshler’s grounder was booted putting runners on first and second with no outs. Nate Witkowski then grounded out to short with Serino and Deshler each moving up a base. Peter Copa drew a two out walk that loaded the bases. Mike Andre was next and he hit a towering fly to right that was lost by the Reds defense and went for a two RBI single, scoring Serino and Deshler and pushing Copa to third. Ahearn escaped further damage when he struck out Paul Yanakopoulos to end the inning.

For the Chiefs, Andre (2 for 3, 2 RBI), Mike Barbati (2 for 3) and Leva (2 for 3), recorded the only hits for the visitors in the game.

The Reds best scoring chance came in the bottom of the second when Josue Feliciano reached on a one out fielder’s choice, stole second, and went to third when Leva’s throw went into centerfield. Freni got out of the jam by getting Pete John to fly to Serino in shallow center and striking out Rich Boyer.

Barbati and right-fielder Matt Boleski both did their part in preserving Freni’s no-hitter. Barbati made a nice diving backhand stop of a Felicano hard hit grounder and Boleski made a diving circus catch of Steve Tramontozzi liner, that had extra bases written all over, it in the third inning.

It was the Chiefs’ first no-hitter since the 2011season when the team had two in ten days. Rob Machado no-hit the Reading Bulldogs on June 30 and Mike DiCato turned the trick against the Mooney Dental Tanners on July 9.

Prior to 2011, the last Chiefs’ no-hitter was on June 13, 2007 by Keith Forbes against the Wakefield Merchants at Walsh Field. Forbes’ gem was the first in dozen seasons for the team since former Boston Red Sox hurler Mike Carista threw a masterpiece in a July 14, 1995, win over the Cremone A’s at Morelli Field in Melrose.

The now 4-1 Chiefs are off until Sunday when they host the Reading Bulldogs at Tufts University in Medford at 5:00 PM.