Andre Chiefs

Medford, MA- The Chiefs won thier fourth straight game, beating the Medford Americans 7-4, on Wednesday night at Playstead Park.

Former Merrimack standout Brendan Pyburn scored two runs and had two doubles and Mike Baillargeon reached base three straight times on a double, RBI single and an intentional walk and also scored two runs to lead the Chiefs offense.

Tim Dunphy made his first start of the season and worked four innings, surrendering five hits and two runs, while striking out four. Mike Gedman came on in relief of Dunphy and picked up the win going 2.1 innings. The lefty matched Dunphy's pitching line, also giving up a couple of runs on five hits and also striking out four. Mike DiCato came out of the bullpen to get the final two outs of the game to record his second save of the year.

Americans starter Dan Walsh retired the first ten Chiefs in a row with his submarine style pitching before Baillargeon broke the stretch with his fourth inning double.

With the win, the Chiefs go to 5-1 on the season heading into tonight's 6:30 PM contest against the Mooney Dental Tanners at Ferullo Field in Woburn. Right-hander Jared Freni (0-1), who co-captained UMass-Amherst this spring, will get the starting assignment for the Chiefs.

Medford, MA- Lefty Dylan Ellis won his third straight start of the season as the Chiefs turned back the Testa Corp. Bombers 2-0 at Tufts University on Tuesday evening.

First baseman Mike Gedman provided Ellis with all the runs he would need in the fourth inning when he cranked a solo homer to right center. A Mike Baillargeon fifth inning RBI single, that scored Brian Macrina who had walked and stole second, accounted for the only other run of the game.

Ellis, struck out four and issued just one walk on the way to picking up career win 14 for the Chiefs. It was also the Gloucester, MA native and former Merrimack College’s star second consecutive shutout. He tossed a two-hitter against Arlington last Tuesday.

Bombers starter Jeff Rowan was almost as tough, allowing just one run in his four innings of work. The University of Rochester righty gave up just three hits and struck out four.

Amherst lefty Fred Shepard blanked the Chiefs over the final two frames and he also struck out four batters.

Chiefs shortstop Brendan Pyburn was the only player on either team to have a multiple hit game with a first inning single and a third inning opposite field double.

The Chiefs are back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Playstead Park in Medford to take on the Americans. Lefty Tim Dunphy is expected to draw the starting assignment for the Chiefs.

Medford, MA- Mike DiCato picked up his first win of the season with six innings of three-hit pitching and shortstop Brendan Pyburn went three for three with three RBI’s to lead the Chiefs past the Americans 6-2 at Tufts University on Friday evening.

DiCato and Americans starter Steve Albano of Babson both enjoyed 1-2-3 innings in the first.

Mike DelPonte led off the American’s second inning with a single but DiCato struck out Matt Howard and Mike Kalfopoulos and got Matt Sheehan to ground out to Mike Gedman unassisted at first to end the inning.

The Chiefs took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second when catcher Matt Anderson reached on a one out fielder’s choice and Hal Landers sent him to third with a gap shot double to right-center. Justin Crisafulli then drew a walk to load the bases with two away. Brian Macrina followed and hit a grounder to Mike Addesa at third but the speedy Landers won a footrace to the bag giving Macrina a RBI fielder’s choice and sending Anderson home for a 1-0 lead. Pyburn made it 3-0 when he lined a two RBI single to center scoring Landers and Crisafulli.

The Americans answered with run in the top of the third.  Steve Napier was hit by a DiCato pitch, Adessa singled and Jose Polanco moved them both up a base with a sacrifice bunt. K.C. McCarthy then delivered Napier with a sacrifice fly to center to make it a 3-1 game. DiCato averted further scoring when he got Charlie Pagliarulo to ground to Mike Andre at third base.

The Chiefs got that run right back in the bottom of the third when Gedman started things with an opposite field single. Peter Copa followed and drew his second of three walks on the night. Andre then moved Gedman and Copa up a base with a sacrifice bunt. Anderson then grounded to Adessa at third who threw him out at first. Gedman delayed coming home until Adessa released the throw and then slid across with the Chiefs fourth run.

DelPonte came around to score on a wild pitch and a couple of infield groundouts, after he was hit by a DiCato pitch leading off the fourth inning, making it 4-2.

The Chiefs closed out the scoring a couple of runs in bottom of the fourth. Macrina reached second on an infield throwing error and scored on a Pyburn RBI single running the lead to 5-2. Pyburn then stole second, went to third and eventually scored on a couple of wild pitches making it 6-2 and chasing Albano from the mound in favor of Ryan McNiff.

DiCato retired the Americans side in order in the fifth and was aided by a 4-6-3 double play in the sixth following a Pagliarulo leadoff single.

Tufts southpaw Kevin Gilchrist (Medford, MA) made his ICL debut in the seventh; retiring the only two batters he faced before giving way to Rob Machado who ended the evening’s proceedings when he got pinch hitter Mike Burgoyne to fly out to end the game.

Chiefs Notebook…..Peter Copa walked in each of his three plate appearances. The UMass-Amherst standout also accounted for the final four putouts of the game on fly balls to rightfield…..Worcester State closer Kevin Hayes worked a scoreless sixth inning for the Americans. The side-armer was recently named all-New England D-3 and appeared in NEIBA all-star game at Fenway Park last Sunday…..The Chiefs play at Reading’s Morton Field on Sunday at 1:30 PM. It will the Chiefs first trip ever to play the expansion Bulldogs….Lefty Tim Dunphy will make his first start in a Chiefs uniform on Sunday. The former Cambridge, MA and Brandeis University star led the now defunct Cassell Club to the ICL championship in 2006 before signing professionally to pitch in Europe….