Andre Chiefs

Lexington, MA- Mike Morgan drove in Ross Curley, with a two out single in the fourth inning, to provide the winning run as the Blue Sox edged the Chiefs 4-3 in Lexington on Thursday night.

The Chiefs jumped on Lexington starter and winner Matt Karis for four hits in the top of the first inning but could only muster a single run. Jeff Bercume got things started with a single to right and went to second on a wild pitch. Mike Baillargeon beat out an infield single to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Karis then got Vinny Pennell to hit into a 4-6-3 doubleplay, with Bercume scoring on the play. Justin Crisafulli followed with a sharp single to left and Mike Andre then hit a long double into the left-center field gap, sending Crisafulli to third. Karis stranded both runners when he caught Tony Deshler looking at strike three to end the inning.

The Blue Sox came right back in the bottom of the first against Chiefs’ starter Tim Dunphy to tie the game at 1-1. Pete Frates beat out an infield single to short and scored when Justin Wright crushed a double to right-center.

Karis set the Chiefs down in order in the top of the second and the Blue Sox scored a couple of more runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-1 lead. Ross Curley got things started with a sharp single to right and Dunphy plunked Matt McEvoy with a pitch. Dunphy came off the mound to field Tom Haugh’s attempted sacrifice bunt and fired a strike to Andre at third to force Curley. Mike Morgan then singled to load the bases. Dan Capra was next and he drilled a long two RBI double into the right field corner giving the Sox the lead at 3-1. The Chiefs escaped more damage when they turned an inning ending and unusual 4-3-2 doubleplay off the bat of Frates.

Karis held the Chiefs scoreless in the top of the third. The Chiefs turned their second doubleplay (3-unassisted-6) in as many innings, following Wright’s leadoff single, in the bottom of the inning.

The Chiefs made more noise in the top of the fourth when they knotted the game at 3-3. Andre got things going with a line single to center and Deshler singled sharply to left. Matt Boleski then moved both runners up a base with a perfect sacrifice bunt. Mike Barabti then drew a walk to load the bases for Nick Leva. Leva bounced a one-hopper right back to Karis who threw home to Morgan to force Andre. Bercume then drilled an opposite field double just out of the reach of the diving McEvoy in left to score Deshler and Barbati. McEvoy recovered quickly enough to throw a strike to shortstop Steve Gath who made a perfect relay throw home to get Leva, who was trying to score the go ahead run from first.

The Blue Sox got the winning run in the bottom of the fourth when Morgan’s single drove home Curley.

Karis allowed just a two out fifth inning double to Crisafulli the rest of the way as he retired nine of the last ten batters he faced.

Dan Graham’s two out single in the bottom of the fifth was only hit the Sox had against Dunphy in their last two at bats.

Karis (5-1) avenged his only loss of the season, back on July 5th, to pick up the complete game win. The right-hander allowed ten hits and struck out seven.

Dunphy (4-0-1) suffered his first loss of the year. The southpaw surrendered nine hits, struck out one, walked none, and hit a batter.

The Chiefs and Blue Sox are both off until Sunday when the ICL’s regular season concludes. The Chiefs will host the Wakefield Merchants at Tufts University at 3:30 PM, in a game that will have major playoff implications, while the Blue Sox entertain the Reading Bulldogs in Lexington. 

Reading, MA- The Reading Bulldogs scored three times in the first two innings, then rode the five hit pitching of right-hander Nick Kelley, to hold off the Chiefs 3-2 at Morton Field on Wednesday night.

The Chiefs loss, coupled with the Wakefield Merchants 0-0 tie against the Watertown Reds, and the Testa Corp. Bombers 11-0 win over the Tanners, leaves three teams (Chiefs, Merchants & Bombers) still in the race for second place and an opening round playoff bye.

Kelley retired the Chiefs side in order in the top of the first inning.

The Bulldogs picked up their first run of the night against starter Rob Machado in the bottom of the inning. Brett Flutie flew out, Billy Cataldo reached on an error, stole second, and after Talis was hit by a pitch, Cataldo scored on Alex Fischer’s RBI single to right-center.

The Chiefs went in order again in the second. The Bulldogs upped their lead to 3-0 in the home half of the inning on singles by Andy Gagnon, Cataldo and Trevor Manzi, sandwiched around Machado’s second hit batsman (Flutie).

Kelley made it nine Chiefs up and nine Chiefs down, when he cruised through a 1-2-3 third and Machado settled in nicely and struck out the Reading side in order in the bottom of the inning.

Jeff Bercume broke up Kelley’s streak with a single leading off the fourth and went to second when Manzi bobbled the ball for an error in leftfield. Tony Deshler followed a with a single to left, scoring Bercume, cutting the Bulldogs’ lead to 3-1.

Machado got Reading in order for the second straight inning in the bottom of the fourth and the Chiefs chipped another run off the lead, but missed an opportunity to tie the game, in the top of the fifth. Matt Boleski led off with a gap double. Kelley then popped Nick Leva up for the first out. Mike Baillargeon followed with a double, just inside the third base bag, scoring Boleski to cut the lead to 3-2. The Chiefs missed two chances to tie the game when Kelley got Bercume on an infield popup to shortstop and Deshler on a foul out to first.

That was the last scoring threat for either team as Kelley and Machado tossed zeroes the rest of the way.

Kelley (2-1), struck out two batters and walked none. He retired the first nine batters of the game and finished equally as strong, setting down the last eight Chiefs he faced in succession.  

Machado (2-5), gave up six hits, two earned runs, hit two batters and walked none.

The Chiefs travel to Lexington for a make-up game on Thursday at 8:15 PM against the Blue Sox. The final regular season game of the year, against the Wakefield Merchants, is expected to be played either Saturday or Sunday at Tufts University. The day and starting time is expected to be announced sometime tomorrow.  

Click on http://shartwell.zenfolio.com/p359837115 for Photo Gallery of Chiefs-Reading game.

Wakefield, MA- The Chiefs rode the pitching of veterans Mike DiCato and Tim Dunphy, both who turned in complete game efforts, to sweep a doubleheader from the Merchants, 4-0 & 8-2, on the road at Walsh Field on Sunday.

DiCato was immense in the opener, tossing a one-hit shutout. The former Malden Cathoilc and UMass standout allowed a leadoff bloop single to Scott Searles, in the first inning, and was lights out from there on. The right-hander retired the last 16 Merchants in a row. The only other base runner the Merchants’ had was when he walked Andy Hartung with one out in the second inning.

The Chiefs supplied the DiCato (pictured left) all the runs he would need in the top of the first inning. Justin Crisafulli drove home Jeff Bercume, who had reached on an infield error, with a RBI single.

Two more Chiefs’ runs came across in the top of the fifth inning, when they upped their lead to 3-0, on two more Merchants’ errors, a Paul Yanakopulos sacrifice bunt and Matt Bolseki’s opposite field RBI single.

The Chiefs got their final run with a little small ball in the top of the sixth. Mike Barbati drew a leadoff walk, was bunted to second by Boleski, and scored on a Yanakopulos RBI single to center, the last of only three Chiefs’ hits in the game.

DiCato (4-3) struck out five. James Ramsey (3-3) took the loss for Wakefield.

The Chiefs overcame a 1-0 fifth inning deficit, scoring eight times over the final three innings, to take Game Two, 8-2.  Southpaw Tim Dunphy chalked up his fifth decision without a loss, in going the complete game route.

Tim Dunphy is now 4-0-1

The Merchants took a 1-0 first inning lead when Searles reached on Mike Baillargeon’s error at shortstop and eventually scored the unearned run on a Mike Sorrentino infield single

.It stayed 1-0 until the top of the fifth inning as Dunphy and Merchants’ starter Darren Bisso cruised through the middle innings.

The Chiefs finally got to Bisso and took a 2-1 advantage in the fifth. Tony Deshler singled and was sacrificed to second by Boleski. Barbati then lifted a double down the rightfield line, scoring Deshler, to tie the game at 1-1. Catcher Nick Leva then switched places with Barbati when he delivered a long double into the right-centerfield gap, scoring Barbati and putting the Chiefs in front.

The lead went to 6-2 an inning later when Vinny Pennell led things off with a single and Bisso hit both Crisafulli and Mike Andre with pitches to load the bases. Deshler then singled, scoring Pennell and Crisafulli, to up the lead to 4-2. After Boleski popped out and Deshler stole second, Barbati came through again, this time with a two RBI single, scoring Andre and Deshler to run the lead to 6-2.

The Chiefs final two runs came in the top of the seventh when Pennell walked, Crisafulli doubled, and Andre had an RBI single.

Dunphy scattered seven hits, three of the infield variety, and struck out two. Bisso (5-2) took the loss for Wakefield.

The Chiefs are right back on the road on Monday evening when they travel to Reading High School to meet the Bulldogs at 6:00 PM.  

Reading, MA- Justin Crisafulli had a four for four night, including a double and homer number 90 of his career, to lead the Chiefs to a 6-3 win over the Bulldogs in Reading on Monday evening. Crisafulli’s offensive show backed the complete game effort of Jared Freni who raised his record to 7-1 on the season.

The Chiefs staked Freni to a one run lead in the top of the first. Jeff Bercume led off the inning with an infield single behind the first base bag. Bercume stole second and scored on Vinny Pennell’s RBI single to left. Crisafulli followed with an infield single but Reading starter Sean Boyle got out of the inning when he got Mike Andre to hit into a 6-3 doubleplay.

Freni set the Bulldogs down in the bottom of the first and the Chiefs added a couple of runs in the top of the second to take a 3-0 lead. Tony Deshler and Matt Boleski got things started with consecutive singles and Mike DiCato moved them to second and third with a perfect sacrifice bunt. Nick Leva's slow roller to the right side, with the infield back, allowed Deshler to score and when the grounder was mishandled, Leva reached first. Bercume then drove in Boleski with the Chiefs’ third run with a sacrifice fly to left. Mike Baillargeon followed with a single to right-center sending Leva to third. It stayed 3-0 when Boyle got Pennell to ground out to end the inning.

Freni escaped a minor jam in the Bulldogs’ second when Andy Gagnon singled and Nick Kelley walked.

The Chiefs added their fourth run in the top of the third inning when Crisafulli led off with a long double off the base of the fence in left-center, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Andre’s bad hop infield single.

The Bulldogs stormed back in the bottom of the third inning, scoring three times, on five singles (Brett Flutie, Billy Cataldo, Trevor Manzi, Alex Fischer and Kelley) cutting the Chiefs’ lead to 4-3.

The Chiefs wasted little time in answering the Reading rally, scoring two runs in the top of the fourth inning when Crisafulli hit a two run homer to left-center, scoring Bercume, who had singled, ahead of him.

Freni retired Reading in order in the bottom of the fourth and the Chiefs went quietly in the top of the fifth.

The Bulldogs’ appeared poised to make their second run of the night at closing a Chiefs’ lead in the bottom of the inning. Manzi led things off with a single. Andre then turned in the defensive play of the night when he snagged Fisher’s one hop bullet that was labeled for the left field corner to start a crisp 5-4-3 doubleplay.

Freni and Reading reliever Mike Nich both tossed zeros the rest of the way accounting for the 6-3 final.

Freni, allowed eight hits, struck out four and walked a batter. Boyle (1-3), who gave up only three earned runs in his five innings, took the loss.

The Bulldogs enjoy a night off on Tuesday while the Chiefs stay on the road and visit the Blue Sox in Lexington at 8:00 PM     

Medford,MA- For the 46^th time in 48 years, the Chiefs will be heading to the post-season.

As club enjoyed a day off on Friday, they quietly clinched a playoff spot by virtue of the Watertown Reds 2-1 win over the Arlington Trojans.

The Chiefs have won 17 playoff crowns, with the first coming in 1961 under the tutelage of legandary player-manager Lenny Dempsey.  Dempsey was posthumously enshrined into the ICL’s Hall of Fame in 2010.

The Chiefs can still finish the regular season anywhere from second to sixth place, depending on the results over the last six games of the season. The ICL’s first two regular season finishers will receive first round byes. The third place team will meet the sixth place finisher and teams four and five will hook up in the best of three first round series, tentatively scheduled to begin on Sunday, August 7. Both the semi-final and championship series will be best of five.

The Chiefs will begin the last week of the regular season schedule on Sunday when they travel to Walsh Field in Wakefield for a doubleheader that will begin at 3:00 PM.