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.

Medford, MA- The Chiefs rewarded veteran manager Chuck Andre with his 500^th career win in a come from behind 4-1 win over the Wakefield Merchants on Saturday afternoon at blistering Tufts University.

The Chiefs tied the game up at 1-1 in bottom of the fourth inning on a single by Hal Landers and an RBI double from Juan Portes.

It stayed 1-1 until the Chiefs scored three times in the bottom of the sixth inning to seal the victory for starter and winner Jared Freni.

Jeff Bercume got things started in the home half with a single to right-center. Bercume then stole second as Merchants righty Ed Donovan (Trinity) struck out Landers for the first out. Portes walked and Bercume stole third. Mike Andre was next he delivered Bercume with the winning run with a single to center making it 2-1. Donovan then got Mike Baillargeon to fly to center for the second out but the Chiefs weren’t done scoring. Deshler lined a single to left with the runners going on a full count scoring Portes making it a 3-1 game. Mike DiCato then doubled into the left-centerfield gap scoring pinch runner Rob Caggiano running the margin to 4-1.

Freni worked a 1-2-3 seventh to close out the Merchants. The righty upped his record to 4-1-1 on the season. He allowed six hits, struck out eight, walked five and hit a batter. Donovan, now 3-1, suffered his first loss of the season. Mike Sorrentino had two of the Merchants' hits.

Andre now has a career managerial record of 500-290-68.

The 12-4-2 Chiefs stay on the road on Sunday when they visit the Bulldogs at Morton Field-Reading High School in a 5:00 PM start.

Lexington, MA- For the first time since last August the Chiefs lost their second consecutive game in a tough 3-1 setback to Blue Sox on Thursday night as Lexington ace Matt Karis went to 5-1.

The Blue Sox scored all of their runs with one out in the bottom of the third inning against tough luck loser Tim Dunphy. After Mike Abraham flied out, Jack Laurendeau hit a routine fly to right which Matt Boleski couldn’t find in the twilight sky and it fell for a double. Dunphy then walked leadoff man Ross Curley and was a step short of getting out of the inning when Justin Wright beat the throw to first on an attempted 3-6-1 doubleplay.  Steve Gath was next and he drilled a two RBI double to left scoring Laurendeau and Wright. Jeff Vigurs then reached on an error by Mike Barbati at second base with Gath moving to third. Dan Graham then hit a single off Barbati’s glove up the middle scoring Gath making it 3-0.

The Chiefs threatened but could not score in the top of the fourth. Tony Deshler singled and was forced at second on a Juan Portes grounder. Peter Copa then flew out to the warning track in left before Mike Andre lined a single to right-center pushing Portes to second. The threat ended when Karis got Boleski to pop up.

The Chiefs got two more men on in the fifth on a walk to Nick Leva and a Barbati single before Karis ended the inning by getting Deshler to fly out.

Mike Andre’s two out solo homer to right finally got the Chiefs on the board in the top of the sixth.

The Chiefs made one more run at Karis in the top of the seventh. After Leva struck out Barbati singled up the middle and Hal Landers reached on an infield single behind the mound. The bases went full when Deshler lined a single to left. Portes was next and he grounded into a 6-4-3 doubleplay to end the game.

The Chiefs outhit the Blue Sox 9-6 but left eight men on base.

Karis, struck out two and walked one. Dunphy (3-1-1) suffered his first loss of the year. The lefty struck out four and walked two.

Chiefs Chatter..... Copa pulled up lame on infield grounder in the sixth inning on what appeared to be a muscle pull in his leg.......The Chiefs are back home at Tufts University in Medford on Saturday at 1:30 PM when they host the Wakefield Merchants......On Sunday they travel to Reading to meet the Bulldogs at 5:00 PM....

Watertown, MA- For the second time in three weeks the Chiefs traveled to Victory Field and took it on the chin from the Watertown Reds. This time it was an 11-1 loss on Wednesday night. That followed a 19-3 beating that they took back on June 20.

This one got ugly early despite the Chiefs taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.  Mike Baillargeon walked, Tony Deshler dropped an opposite field ground rule double behind first base and Juan Portes drove home Baillargeon with a sacrifice fly to right.

That was all the scoring the Chiefs could muster against Reds’ starter Andrew LeBrun (2-0), who went five innings to get the win, and reliever Rob Bertucci.

The Reds put up a four spot against Chiefs’ starter Mike DiCato (2-2) in the bottom of the first and added five more in their half of the third inning to take a 9-1 lead.

Rob Machado came on with one out in fourth when the Reds added their final two runs on a Danny Chaisson two run homer.

The Chiefs were held to just three hits (Deshler, Portes & Paul Yanakopulos) while the Reds knocked out thirteen hits.

Machado held the Reds scoreless over the last 2.2 innings while recording three K’s.

The Chiefs, now 11-3-2, stay on the road when they visit the Lexington Blue Sox on Thursday night at 8:00 PM.

Medford, MA- Right-hander Jared Freni went six strong innings and upped his season record to 3-1-1 in a 7-2 Chiefs’ win over the Arlington Trojans on Monday evening at Tufts University.

The Chiefs gave Freni a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning against Arlington starter Mike Griffin. Mike Baillargeon reached on a two base outfield error and scored when Juan Portes singled to right. Peter Copa was next and drilled a long double to the base of the wall in left-center scoring Portes to make it 2-0. Catcher Tim Quinn then walked and Copa came around to score on a Mike Andre infield single.

Freni retired the first seven Trojans he faced before hitting Kevin Hart with a pitch with one out in the top of the third.

The Chiefs doubled their lead in bottom of the third inning. Copa got things started with a triple to center and Quinn walked for the second time in as many at bats. Andre made it 4-0 when he delivered Copa with a sacrifice fly. A Tony Deshler RBI single scored Quinn to make it 5-0. Matt Boleski drew a walk and Deshler scored on a Nate Witkowski RBI infield grounder.

The Trojans got their first hit and run of the game in the top of the fourth when Justin Mansfield doubled and scored on Dan Csaplar’s RBI single, cutting the Chiefs lead to 6-1.

The Chiefs got that run right back in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of Portes. The former Minnesota Twin singled, stole second, and when the throw to get him stealing third sailed into leftfield, he scored standing.

It stayed 7-1 until the Trojans scored an unearned run in the top of the seventh against reliever Matt DiCato on Hart’s long RBI double to the wall in right.

Freni, allowed one earned run and three hits in his six innings. The former UMass-Amherst  and Malden Catholic standout struck out nine, hit a batter, and didn’t issue a walk.

Manager Chuck Andre will be looking to record his 500^th career win when the Chiefs get back in action on Wednesday night at 7:45 PM when they travel to Victory Field in Watertown to meet the Reds.