Andre Chiefs

Wakefield, MA- Tim Dunphy won his third game of the 2011 postseason to lead the Chiefs to a 5-3 win over the Merchants in the decisive fifth game of their best of five series on Sunday at Walsh Field.The Chiefs now head to the Intercity League’s Championship Series and await the winner of the Reading-Lexington series which will conclude with their fifth game on Monday.

For the Hosmer-Andre Chiefs franchise, the 2011 finals will be their 24th appearance in either the Suburban Twi-League or ICL Championship Series since 1960. They have won seventeen championships.

The Chiefs won the first two games of the series 6-3 and 4-1 on Wednesday and Thursday before the Merchants came back with a 6-2 win on Friday night and a 3-0 win on Saturday afternoon to even the series.

Dunphy was masterful on Sunday, taking a shutout into the seventh inning, before the Merchants refused to go quietly, scoring three unearned runs. The former Brandeis University and Cassell Club standout, who pitched professionally in Europe in 2007, is now a perfect 3-0 in the playoffs and 7-1-1 overall this season.

The game was a scoreless battle between Dunphy and Merchants’ veteran starter Kevin Flight over the first two innings before the Chiefs broke through for a run in the top of the third inning. Mike Barbati led off the inning with a single but was forced out at second on Matt Boleski’s unsuccessful sacrifice bunt attempt. Nick Leva was next and he grounded out to short with Boleski being forced at second. Jeff Bercume and Mike Baillargeon followed with consecutive singles to load the bases. The Chiefs got the first run of the game when Flight hit Vinny Pennell with a pitch to force in Leva to give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead. Flight escaped further damage when he got Justin Crisafulli to ground out to Dom Sorrentino at second base.

It stayed 1-0 Chiefs until the top of the sixth inning. After Crisafulli flew to center for the first out, Mike Andre doubled to right. Andre pulled up a bit lame at second and Paul Yanakopulos came on to pinch run for him. Conar Mahon came on in relief of Flight and Mike DiCato greeted him with a long triple to right-center, scoring Yanakopulos, to make it a 2-0 game. Barbati followed with an RBI single to left, scoring DiCato, to run the lead to 3-0.

Dunphy cruised through the bottom of the sixth and the Chiefs made it 5-0 in the top of the seventh. Bercume singled deep into the shortstop hole and when the throw to first was low, he went to second. Baillargeon drew a walk and Pennell reached on an infield error to load the bases. Crisafulli gave the Chiefs some more breathing room when he drilled a single to left, scoring Bercume and Baillargeon, to make it 5-0. Colin Quirk came on for Mahon and kept it a five run game when he got Yanakopulos and DiCato to both fly out, walked Barbati to load the bases, but struck out Boleski to end the inning.

The Merchants made some one out noise in the bottom of the seventh. Dunphy got Crispin to fly to Pennell in left for the first out. Joe Papa, pinch hitting for Bobby Losanno, then hit a long fly to right-center that was dropped for an error. Dom Sorrentino followed and grounded to DiCato at firstbase for the second out of the inning. Brooks Townsend then broke up Dunphy’s shutout bid with a line single to center, scoring Papa, to make it 5-1. Scott Searles then doubled deep to left-center scoring Townsend to cut the lead to 5-2. Things got a little tighter when Mike Sorrentino singled, scoring Searles to make it 5-3. That was as close as the Merchants’ got as Dunphy got Jason Roth to ground to Barbati at second base to end the game and propel the Chiefs to the ICL finals.

Reading knotted up their series at 2-2 with Lexington with a 3-2 win on Sunday afternoon in Reading. Game Five of that series will be played on Monday night at 8:00 PM at Lexington High School.

The ICL’s best of five Championship Series is expected to begin on Wednesday.

(More Chiefs & ICL Playoff Coverage Soon is Coming Soon) 

Medford, MA- Stephen Cool threw a one-hit shutout gem to lead the Wakefield Merchants to a 3-0 win over the Chiefs at Tufts University on Saturday afternoon.

With the win the Merchants tie the best of five series at 2-2 with the deciding Game Five to be played at Walsh Field in Wakefield on Sunday at 4:00 PM. Sunday's winner will earn a trip to the Intercity League's Championship Series.

Cool, who allowed just a second inning single to Matt Boleski, struck out three and walked just one.

The Merchants scored twice in the second inning. Dave Orlowitz was hit by a Rob Machado pitch and stole second. After Machado got the next two outs, Brooks Townsend sent a line double off the fence in left scoring Orlowitz. Scott Searles then singled to right scoring Townsend to make it a 2-0 game.

The Merchants picked up another run in the top of the seventh on a Townsend single (his third hit of the day) and a Searles RBI double.

Cool only allowed three baserunners in the game, Boleski's single in the second, a walk to Paul Yanakopulos in the sixth, and Justin Crisafulli, who reached on an infield error with one out in the seventh.

Machado, now 3-6 on the season, went all seven innings for the Chiefs allowing three earned runs on seven hits. He struck out eight, walked none, but hit two batters.

Wakefield, MA- Darren Bisso twirled a complete game five-hitter, surrendering just two unearned runs, to lead the Merchants to a 6-2 win over the Chiefs in Game Three of their best of five semi-final series. With the win, the Merchants narrow the Chiefs lead in the series to 2-1.

Bisso retired the Chiefs in the first and the Merchants struck quickly in the home half of the inning. Brooks Townsend led off with a double down the left field line and Scott Searles reached on an  infield single. Mike Sorrentino then singled to score Townsend for a 1-0 Merchants lead. Loenzo Papa quickly made it a 4-0 game when he drilled a Mike DiCato pitch over the left field fence for a three run homer.

Bisso got the Chiefs in order in the top of the second and DiCato escaped a bases loaded jam in the Merchants half of the inning.

Mike Andre recorded the Chiefs first hit in the top of the third, a two out single.

The Merchants made it 5-0 in the bottom third when former Chicago Cub and ICL veteran Andy Hartung hit a solo homer to left.

The Merchants handed the Chiefs two runs in the top of the fourth inning. Matt Boleski singled with one out but was forced at second on Mike Barbati’s ground out. Paul Yanakopulos then reached on an infield error and Nick Leva drew a walk to load the bases. Jeff Bercume then hit what appeared to be an inning ending fly ball that was dropped in centerfield, allowing both Barbati and Yanakopulos to score to cut the lead to 5-2.

Jake Crawford replaced DiCato on the mound to start the bottom of the fourth inning. After he got the first two outs of the inning, Crawford walked Papa and then gave up a bomb centerfield double to Jason Roth that scored Papa making it 6-2.

Crawford and Bisso threw zeroes the rest of the way.

Bisso, who raised his season mark to 7-2, struck out five and walked three.

Game Four is scheduled for Tufts University in Medford on Saturday at 3:00 PM.

 

Medford, MA- Jared Freni tossed a neat one-hitter, retiring 19 in a row after allowing a first inning run, and Jeff Bercume hit a two run homer, to lead the Chiefs to a 4-1 win over the Wakefield Merchants at Tufts University on Thursday. With the win, the Chiefs take a 2-0 lead in the best of five semi-final series.

Freni was untouchable after the first inning when the Merchants played some small ball to take a 1-0 lead. Leadoff man Brooks Townsend got the Merchants started when he drew a full count walk. Scott Searles then dropped a sacrifice bunt with Townsend going to second. Catcher Mike Sorrentino then gave the Merchants a quick 1-0 lead when he lined a single to center scoring Townsend and taking second on the throw home. Freni left Sorrentino stranded when he struck out Lorenzo Papa and Jason Roth in succession to end the inning.

The Chiefs threatened but did not score in the bottom of the first when Bercume led off with a single and went to third on Mike Andre’s one out line single to right-center. With runners on the corners Wakefield starter Conar Mahon escaped the jam when he got Justin Crisafulli to bounce into a 6-4-3 doubleplay.

Freni retired the Merchants side in order, with two more K’s, in the top of the second and the Chiefs tied the game at a run each in the bottom of the inning. Mike DiCato led off with a single to center. With Mike Barbati at the plate, Sorrentino attempted to pick DiCato off first but his throw sailed into right field with DiCato going all the way to third on the error. With the infield drawn in, Mahon recorded a big out when he got Barbati swinging at strike three. Matt Boleski followed and he delivered DiCato with a bloop single to right scoring DiCato, to tie the game at 1-1.

Freni breezed in the top of the third and Mahon did the same in the home half of the inning.

Freni’s streak went to eleven in row when he set the Merchants down in order for the third straight inning in the fourth. The Chiefs got two more men aboard in the bottom of the inning when DiCato singled again and Barbati drew a walk. Mahon kept it a tie game when he got Boleski to fly to left and struck out Paul Yanakopulos swinging.

Two more Freni K’s ended the Wakefield fifth, his fourth straight 1-2-3 inning.

Nick Leva came back from a 0-2 count to single to right to begin the Chiefs’ fifth. Bercume then put the Chiefs in front 3-1 when he drilled a Mahon offering over the right field fence. Veteran right-hander Kevin Tidmarsh came on for Mahon and Mike Baillargeon greeted him with an infield single. Baillargeon then stole second before Tidmarsh got Andre swinging for the first out of the inning. Crisafulli followed and he gave the Chiefs a 4-1 lead when he singled to center, scoring Baillargeon.

In the top of the sixth, Bobby Losanno flew to Bercume, Townsend flew deep to right with Boleski making a nice catch before crashing into the wall, and Searles grounded to Baillargeon at short.

Tidmarsh, the former Trinity right-hander, blanked the Chiefs in the sixth.

Freni got Sorrentino to ground to Barbati for the first out of the seventh and Papa to pop to Baillargeon for out number two. Freni’s retired batters in row streak came to end at 19 when he walked Roth on a 3-2 pitch. The former UMass-Amherst and Malden Catholic standout then ended things when he got Andy Hartung to pop to DiCato at first base.

Freni struck out eight and walked two. He threw an even 100 pitches over the seven inning route and raised overall season mark to 8-2.

Game Three of the series will be on Friday evening at Walsh Field in Wakefield with the first pitch scheduled for 5:30 PM. 

Wakefield, MA- Lefty Tim Dunphy went the distance, taking a shutout into the bottom of the seventh, to lead the Chiefs to a 6-3 win in the opening game of their best of five semi-final series against the Wakefield Merchants at Walsh Field.

With the win, Dunphy goes to 6-1-1 on the year and 2-0 in the playoffs.

Dunphy was matched up against Wakefield’s Jarrod Marchesi, the former Bentley University standout.

The Chiefs got two out singles from Mike Andre and Justin Crisafulli in the top of the first inning before Marchesi struck out Matt Boleski swinging to end the threat.

Scott Searles singled with one away in the Merchants first but Dunphy got catcher Mike Sorrentino to hit into a doubleplay started by Chiefs’ shortstop Mike Baillargeon.

Two more Chiefs got aboard in the top of the second. Mike Barbati led off and was hit by a Marchesi pitch. Paul Yanakopulos then flew to centerfielder Jason Roth for the first out. Rookie Jon Byrne then reached on an infield error but Marchesi got another rookie, Andy Cavanaugh, to pop up and Jeff Bercume on a strikeout to end the frame.

Dunphy got his second doubleplay in two innings in the Merchants’ second inning after Lorenzo Papa singled but was erased on 3-6 (Boleski to Baillargeon) twin killing.

Crisafulli gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead with two outs in the third inning when he launched a solo shot to left.

Dunphy recorded two strikeouts in the bottom of the third inning.

Andy Cavanaugh runs down Mike Sorrentino's fly

The Chiefs picked up four runs, sending nine men to the plate, to take a 5-0 lead in the top of the fourth. The inning started quietly enough when Marchesi got Barbati to ground out. Yanakopulos got things going with a single to center and Marchesi surrendered a second single to Byrne. Cavanaugh then reached on a fielder’s choice with Byrne being forced at second for out number two. Bercume then hit a slow roller to first that was misplayed for an error, allowing Yanakopulos to score to make it 2-0. The Chiefs picked up their third run when Baillargeon’s grounder to third was thrown away with Cavanaugh scoring and Bercume going to third and Baillargeon to second. Andre was next and he lined a Marchesi fastball into the right-center field gap scoring Bercume and Baillargeon to open the lead to 5-0.

Dunphy got the Merchants in order again in the bottom of the fourth and Marchesi only allowed a one out Yanakopulos single in the top of the fifth.

Roth singled to lead off the Merchants fifth before Andy Hartung grounded to Andre at third for the first out. Jon Davison then singled to center to put runners on the corners with one out before Dunphy got Dale Crispin to bounce into Wakefield’s third doubleplay of the game to end the inning.

Andre launched a long two out double to center in the top of the sixth and Dunphy set the Merchants down in order in the bottom of the inning.

The Chiefs made it 6-0 in the top of the seventh when Yanakopulos singled with two out, stole second, and scored on Byrne’s opposite field single down the right field line.

The Merchants finally broke through against Dunphy and made things a little interesting in the bottom of the seventh. Consecutive singles by Mike Sorrentino, Papa and Roth loaded the bases with nobody out. Hartung then delivered a long double to left, on which Bryne slipped, allowing Sorrentino and Papa to score to make it 6-2. Davison followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Roth, to cut the lead to 6-3. Dunphy then re-assumed control and ended the game when he got Crsipin on a grounder to Barbati and struck out Dom Sorrentino.

Game Two is scheduled for Tufts University on Thursday at 5:30 PM.