Andre Chiefs

By Bruce Hack
ICBL Media Relations Director

LEXINGTON, MA – Under blue skies and bright skies the best players from the Boston Park League and the best players from the Intercity League got together for the third annual Joe Driscoll Memorial All-Star game and the hosts came away with a 10-9 win at Lexington High School.

All-Star games usually feature great pitching, great defense and timely hitting. This had all that, but was like two games in one. The two teams combined for 19 runs and 20 hits, with 18 of the runs and 12 of the hits coming in the fourth and fifth innings. For all the hits it was a fielders choice that brought in the winning run.The Park League had tied the game at 9-9 with a six-run fifth only to see the Intercity League take the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth with the fourth lead change in two innings
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Park League hurler Grady Campion (Cannon Club/Oberlin), who entered the game in the fourth, walked the first three batters in the fifth to load the bases. Campion was replaced by Scott Hawpe (Grossman Marketing/Holy Cross) who induced a ground ball to short by Joe Smith (Mooney/Harvard) that scored Taylor von Kriegenbergh (Wakefield/UMass-Lowell) with what turned out to be the winning run for the home squad.

Pitching took over for the final three innings as neither team could push any more runs across the plate.

The Intercity League pitchers combined to set down the last nine Park League batters, four by strikeout.

Wakefield’s Steve Coffey (UMass-Boston) earned the save with a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out the first two batters. His effort earned him Intercity League Co-MVP honors.

Pete Frates (Lexington/Boston College) shared Intercity League MVP honors with Coffey. Frates was 1-for-2 and drove in Brendan Pyburn (Andre/Merrimack), who tripled on the first pitch he saw, with the first run on an infield out in the first inning. He also turned a 9-3 double play in the fourth when he made a great diving catch near the line and doubled up Francis Gonzalez (Boston Padres/Boston English HS) to end the three-run rally by the Park League.

For the second straight year Anthony Del Prete (Testa Corp/Suffolk) started for the Intercity squad and turned in a 1-2-3, seven pitch effort with one strikeout. It was one of only three 3-up, 3-down innings in the game all by Intercity pitchers. The Chiefs Mike DiCato worked the second inning for the ICL, allowing just one hit.

James Ramsey (Wakefield/Trinity) had the second 3-up, 3-down inning when he set down the Park League in the eighth inning on 10 pitches with one strikeout.
Both teams batted around in an inning and sent 11 batters to the plate.

For the Intercity League it happened in the fourth when the hosts turned four walks, four hits and a throwing error into eight runs. A pair of Blue Sox players, Eric Poling (Greenville College) with an RBI single to give the ICBL a 4-3 lead, and Ross Curley (Bentley) a 2-run single had big hits in the inning. Curley also combined with Medford’s Steve Tahmoush (Babson) on a double steal with Tahmoush scoring the seventh run of the inning.

Boston responded with an 11-batter six run fifth inning. Andrew Tenaglia (Grossman Marketing/Holy Cross), who was named BPL MVP for the game, had the big hit a two-single to drive in the third and fourth runs of the inning. He finished 2-for-2 with a run, 2 RBI and also turned an unassisted double play at first base in the seventh. He made a diving catch of a line drive off the bat of Mike DelPonte (Medford/Bryant) and then doubled up Nick Martinho (Testa/Suffolk).

There were four double plays turned in the game, three by the Intercity League and none of them were the usual groundball variety. Two were turned in by Intercity outfielders, the one by Frates and one by Jay DeFillipo (Testa/Siena) who made a catch in center and threw home to nail Ivan Clemente (Cannon Club/Maryland) who bulled his way into catcher Poling. The first ICBL double play came in the third when Josue Feliciano (Carlson Club/MCLA) struck out with runners at first and second. As the ball got away from catcher Bob McCarthy (Andre/Merrimack) he gunned down John Hayes (Grossman/Marketing/Suffolk) going to third.

For the third straight year the two teams played the game in honor of Joe Driscoll, an umpire and friend of many in the Greater Boston baseball community.

The game also showcased the best amateur baseball in the greater Boston area as the players represented both leagues and their teams well and gave the fans a great show.

Medford, MA- Huskins Field has always been known as a pitcher’s ballpark and it can be a very imposing landscape, especially for right-handed hitters.

When there are two good pitchers on the mound and a strong wind is blowing in, it becomes a downright monster! 

Such was the case on Thursday night when the Tanners Max McKenna and the Chiefs Ryan McNeill hooked up in classic pitcher’s duel. The net offensive totals for both teams were; two runs, one earned, and five hits. The end result equaled a 1-1 tie that took a brief one hour and twenty-three minutes to complete. 

It was the eighth league game that ended in a tie so far this season and it becomes another glowing example for the ICL to consider adopting an extra innings format next season.  The Chiefs other tie this year was a 2-2 contest with Wakefield that was completed in an hour and twelve minutes.

The Chiefs scored their only run of the night in the bottom of the first inning when Catcher Bob McCarthy walked, stole second and scored on Justin Crisafulli’s RBI single to right-center. 

The Tanners tied the game in the top of the fifth. Keegan DeNapoli drew a leadoff walk. Derek Dettore followed with a seeing eye grounder between first baseman J.P. Pollard and second baseman Peter Copa. Copa made a nice play to get to the ball but his throw to get Dettore was wide of McNeill who was covering the bag. The play was scored as a hit and an error was charged to Copa on the throw which allowed DeNapoli to go to third. Tanners catcher Jon Smart immediately cashed in when he followed with a sacrifice fly to left-center that scored DeNapoli and tied the game at 1-1. 

Other than Dettore’s infield hit, McNeill allowed just another infield single in the fifth inning.  

After Crisafulli’s RBI single in the first inning, the only other hits the Chiefs could manage against McKenna were a Bercume two out sixth inning single and a Macrina single with one out in the seventh. 

McNeill, who received all-Northeast 10 honors this past spring for Merrimack, struck out three and saw his Chiefs record go to 1-1-1.  

McKenna, who was 3-3 with an ERA of 3.03 in twelve appearances for Amherst College in 2009, also struck out three and hit a batter. McKenna was named to the ICL all-star team yesterday. He has been lights out so far this summer for the Tanners. The Lexington native has surrendered just three earned runs in 23.1 innings of work, struck out 17 and has an impressive ERA of 0.90.  

Medford, MA- J.P. Pollard drilled a bases clearing sixth inning double to left-center field to break a 3-3 tie and give the Chiefs a hard fought 6-3 win over the Medford Americans at Playstead Park on Wednesday night. 

The Chiefs squandered a brief 3-0 fourth inning lead but came back and recorded their third win in four attempts so far this week. 

Chiefs’ starter Dan Lozeau and his counterpart Lee Jamison both threw blanks over the first three frames as the game was scoreless heading into the top of the fourth.  

Jeff Bercume got things started in the Chiefs fourth inning when he drilled a long triple off the base of the fence in right. Jamison got Justin Crisafulli to flyout to short right for the first out and then walked rookie Dario Pizzano to put runners on the corners with one out. Veteran Brian Macrina then delivered Bercume with the first of his three hits on the night to give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead. Mike Andre then flew to left for the inning’s second out. Peter Copa followed and he made it 2-zip with a single that scored Pizzano. Pollard then hit a hard one-hopper that handcuffed second baseman Monte Marrocco allowing Macrina to score making it 3-0. 

The Americans came right back to knot things up in the bottom of the inning. Ageless veteran Mike Kalfopoulos showed why he was once the most feared hitter in the ICL when he lined a Lozeau fastball into the right-center field gap for a bases clearing three RBI double that scored KC McCarthy (single), Mike Delponte (walk) and Steve Napier (single).  

It stayed a 3-3 contest until the Chiefs put up the go ahead runs in the sixth. Macrina lined his third single of the game to left and Andre followed with another single to left-center. Copa then dropped a perfect bunt that went for a single and loaded the bases. Pollard stepped up and quickly emptied them with his stand-up double. 

Lozeau struck out the side in order in the sixth and Medford reliever Ryan McNiff held the Chiefs scoreless in the seventh. 

Things got a bit interesting in the bottom of the seventh before Lozeau closed things out. Kalfopoulos grounded out to Mike Barbati at second, who made a nice play in short right to throw him out by a step and Mike Ferriero flew to Pizzano in right for out number two. Lozeau then issued a walk to Jay Olson and Mike Burgoyne pinch ran for him. Marrocco then singled to deep short to bring Steve Tahmoush to the plate representing the tying run. Lozeau ended it when he got Tahmoush to pop up to Barbati at second base.

Lozeau, who evens his record at 2-2 with the win, allowed five hits and struck out six. Jamison (2-3) took the loss for the Americans. 

The Chiefs will send right-hander Ryan McNeill (1-1) to the mound on Thursday when they return home to meet the Mooney Dental Tanners at Tufts University at 6:00 PM.

East Boston, MA- Anthony Del Prete outdueled rookie Rob Machado as the Bombers edged the Chiefs 2-0 at East Boston Stadium.

Del Prete scattered three hits and struck out three while raising his season mark to 3-0 and lowering his ERA to 0.50. Del Prete has been beaten only once in fifteen decisions (11-1-3) since returning to the ICL in 2008 after a four year professional career. He spent one season in the Northeast League and three years pitching for Evansville of the Frontier League.

Former Harvard star Josh Klimkiewicz's second inning single and Joe Papa's bases loaded walk in the fourth accounted for the two Bomber RBI's.

Machado pitched well in his first ICL start despite taking the loss. The UMass-Amherst righty via Malden Catholic surrendered just four hits, struck out five and walked five.

Singles from Dario Pizzano (2nd inning), Peter Copa (3rd inning) and Jeff Bercume (6th inning) was all the offense the Chiefs could manage against Del Prete.

The Chiefs travel to Playstead Park in Medford on Wednesday night when the take on the Medford Americans at 6:00 PM. Dan Lozeau (1-2) will get the start for the Chiefs while the Americans will counter with righthanded veteran Lee Jamison (2-2).

The Chiefs return home to Tufts University on Thursday when the host the Mooney Dental Tanners. Ryan McNeill (1-1) is the expected starter for the Chiefs against the Tanners.

Medford, MA- You knew when you saw the pitching match-up at Tufts University on Monday evening that this was going to be a low scoring, pitching dominated game. 

Taking the mound for the visiting Wakefield Merchants was right-hander Jarrod Marchesi, the former Everett High and Bentley College ace, who just concluded his collegiate career with a 19-12 record. He was named all Northeast-10 as a junior when he went 8-3 for the Falcons. 

In the other corner was the Chiefs’ Mike DiCato, the former Malden Catholic all-American who led his team to a 2003 state championship and just wrapped up his four year stint at UMass-Amherst with 59 appearances, including wins over Boston College as well as Harvard in the 2008 Beanpot at Fenway Park. 

Neither Marchesi nor DiCato would disappoint on this night. 

The Chiefs eventually came away with a come from behind 3-1 win, tallying three times off Marchesi in the bottom of the sixth. The big blow came off the bat of All-East selection Jeff Bercume of Merrimack who delivered a huge two RBI double. 

After both Marchesi and DiCato retired the respective sides in order in the first inning, the Merchants took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. UMass-Lowell cleanup man Taylor Von Kriegenberg led things off with a single down the left field line. Matt Russo pushed him to second on a nice play by Chiefs second baseman Mike Baillargeon who ranged far to his left to get him by half a step. Alex LiDonni then moved Von Kriegenberg to third with another infield grounder to JP Pollard at first. Von Kriegneberg completed his tour of the bases when he scored on a DiCato wild pitch to give the Merchants the lead. 

That run looked as if it may stand up as both pitchers tossed blanks over the next four innings. Marchesi surrendered a just second inning single to Bob McCarthy and third inning hits to Pollard and torrid Brendan Pyburn (double). In innings three through six, DiCato only allowed a single to Sam Choate in the third and a walk to Columbia outfielder Jason Banos in the fifth. 

The Chiefs finally broke through against Marchesi and won the game in the bottom of the sixth. Rookie Hal Landers (Wheaton) got things going with an opposite field single to left. Pyburn followed and after two unsuccessful sacrifice bunt attempts, lined a single to right center with Landers stopping at second. Baillargeon, the second team all-American selection from Assumption, followed with a hard shot right at shortstop Josh Band (Rollins). Band knocked the liner down and recovered in time to force Pyburn at second with Landers taking third on the play. Bercume then provided the night’s biggest noise when he drilled a Marchesi pitch to deep left-center for a double, scoring both Landers and Pyburn and giving the Chiefs the lead. Bercume took third on the throw to the plate and that proved to be big when Justin Crisafulli gave DiCato an insurance run and a 3-1 lead when he plated Bercume with a sacrifice fly to left. 

DiCato got Von Kriengenberg to fly to Landers in right for the first out of the seventh. Russo was next and he reached on an infield single. DiCato then closed things out when he got LiDonni to bounce into a 4-6-3 doubleplay. 

With the complete game, eighty pitch outing, DiCato raised his season mark to 3-1 and lowered his ERA to 2.52. Marchesi (0-2), struck out four and allowed six hits. 

Chiefs Chatter….The Chiefs will send rookie right-hander Rob Machado to the mound to make his first ICL start when they travel to East Boston Stadium to meet the Bombers on Tuesday night at 8:00 PM. Machado worked three impressive innings in relief against the Americans on Friday. The former Malden Catholic star made two starts for UMass-Amherst this spring against UConn and Northeastern……Shortstop Brendan Pyburn of Merrimack has been on fire at the plate over the last week going 9 for his last 15, including a home run and three doubles. With the hot streak, the former Bishop Fenwick star has raised his average to a lofty .354….Catcher Bob “Bobo” McCarthy has moved into the ICL’s top five in the batting race, currently hitting an even .400 (16 for 40), and is currently enjoying a seven game hitting streak….Former Boston College star and Boston Red Sox farmhand Steve Langone made a nice grab of a Justin Crisafulli pop up in short right field in the second inning. The veteran second baseman is hitting .261 so far this season for the Merchants….Wakefield is off on Tuesday and hosts the Bombers at Walsh Field on Wednesday at 6:00 PM…Following Tuesday’s game at East Boston the Chiefs travel to Playstead Park in Medford on Wednesday at 6:00 PM before returning home to host the Mooney Dental Tanners on Thursday….The 2009 ICL all-star team is expected to be announced on Wednesday. The annual ICL-Boston Park League all-star game will be held this Sunday at Lexington starting at 2:00 PM…..