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Dembrowski Grand Slam Leads Chiefs to 11-5 Win in Wakefield
Early on it was the Chiefs defense that kept the game in reach led by rightfielder Danny DiMare who personally saved at least four runs with a couple of diving catches among his five putouts. In addition, the Chiefs threw runners out at the plate in the first and third innings around a key inning ending doubleplay in the second.
The Chiefs went quietly in the first as Joseph Maguire retired the side in order with two K’s.
Starter Jared Freni walked 2017 ICL MVP Bobby Lossano to open the Merchants’ first. Lossano stole second and went to third on a Mike Sorrentino grounder. Ryan Collins was next he hit a fly to center with Tony Serino making the catch and throwing Lossano out at the plate attempting to tag and score to end the inning.
A DiMare two out double to left would be all the Chiefs would get against Maguire in the top of the second and Freni escaped a bases loaded, nobody out jam in the Wakefield half of the inning. Walks to Paul McGunigle and Kyle Hawes, around a Joe Barry single, set the Merchants up to grab the lead. Freni bore down and struck out Mike Mangoonian for the big first out before getting Bryant Dana to ground into a Johnny Welch (unassisted) to Peter Copa inning ending doubleplay.
The Chiefs took advantage of some shoddy defense to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the third. Andrew Caulfield led off the inning with the first of his three hits on the night but was forced at second on a Mike Burgoyne grounder. Serino flew to left and Erick Ramirez followed and reached on an infield error, putting runners on second and third. Maguire’s 2-2 pitch to Johnny Welch went to the backstop and both Burgoyne and Ramirez, who never stopped running, scoring on the wild pitch. Maguire eventually got Welch to fly to left to end the frame.
Chiefs defense played some giveth and then taketh away in the Merchants third. Freni issued his third straight inning opening walk to Mike Guanci. Lossano followed and reached on an error by Dembrowski at third. Veteran Mike Sorrentino was next he sacrificed both runners into scoring position. Collins followed and hit a sharp grounder to Welch at short who fired home to Shane Stande at the plate who tagged out the sliding Guanci for the second out. McGunigle then singled home Lossano to make it a 2-1 game before DiMare turned in the defensive play of the year so far when he ran down a Barry shot with a twisting and turning catch in deep right-center to retire the side.
Both teams went in order in the fourth and Maguire set the Chiefs down in the top of the fifth.
The Merchants took a 3-2 lead on singles from Sorrentino, Collins, and Barry, chasing Freni in favor of rookie David Kerns, in the bottom of the fifth.
The Chiefs came right back with a long awaited big inning in the top of the sixth. Ramirez and Welch led off with back to back singles. Copa then dropped a sacrifice bunt with Ramirez beating the throw to third to load them up with nobody out. Dembrowski was next and he launched a bomb to left for a grand slam that reversed the Chiefs’ fortunes and gave them a 6-3 lead.
The Merchants came up with two runs and appeared poised to go back in front against Kerns in the bottom of the frame before more DiMare defense kept them in the lead. A Mangoonian single, followed by a Dana double, an infield error, and then a Lossano single, closed the gap to 6-5. DiMare then came up big once again, this time with a diving grab of a McGunigle flare down the rightfield line, with two runners aboard, that curtailed the rally and preserved the one run lead heading into the seventh.
The Chiefs opened things up and roughed up Andrews and lefty Mike Untract for five insurance runs in the top of seventh. They began the inning with five consecutive hits from Serino, Ramirez, Welch, Copa, and Dembrowski, followed by a DiMare sacrifice, and then a two RBI single from Stande, to grab an 11-5 lead.
The Merchants loaded the bases with two away in the seventh on singles from Guanci and Lossano, along with an infield error, before Kerns got Sorrentino to fly fittingly to DiMare to end the ballgame.
Chiefs Chatter….The now 7-7 Chiefs had season highs in runs scored (11) and hits (14)…..It was a night of firsts from a couple of Chiefs’ rookies. David Kerns (1-1) picked up his first ICL win and Kyle Dembrowski hit his first ICL homer..,,,Second year man Andrew Caulfield also had the first three hit game (2 singles, double) of his career…. The Chiefs finish the week at 3-1 and are off until Sunday afternoon when they travel to play the Reading Bulldogs at Morton Field (Reading HS) at 5:00 PM….On Monday they host the Melrose Americans at Maplewood in their last game before embarking on the annual Fourth of July break….
Alibrandis Walk Off with 3-2 Win in 9 Innings
The Chiefs wasted another outstanding effort from Mitchell Clegg who struck out ten batters.
Ben Waldrip had the the Chiefs’ RBI with a single in the seventh inning.
Nate Witkowski stayed hot and had three hits.
James Cramphin threw the final three innings to get the win. Rookie David Kerns (0-1) worked the ninth inning for the Chiefs and was tagged with the loss.
The Chiefs will travel to Wakefield on Wednesday at 6:00 PM to meet the Merchants at Walsh Field.
Walsh 5 Inning, 1 Hit Relief, Leads Chiefs Past Reds 6-2
The Chiefs overcame a 2-0 first inning Reds advantage to record their second straight win and even their record at 6-6 on the year.
But the story of this night was Walsh, who was simply lights out in relief of starter Josh Deasi. Desai, the 2017 ICL Pitcher of the Year, was forced to leave the game after just two innings with some back tightness.
The Reds jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Kyle LaVigne walked, appeared to be picked off by Desai, but was credited with a stolen base when Peter Copa’s throw to second was low. LaVigne then went to third on a wild pitch before Deasi got Will Brennan to fly to Danny DiMare in short left for the first out. Logan Gillis was next and he hit a fly ball to deep right that Ben Waltrip misplayed into two base error, with LaVigne scoring and Gillis being credited with a sacrifice fly and an RBI. Dan Chaisson then delivered Gillis with an opposite field double to right to make it 2-0.
The Chiefs cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the first, Tony Serino drew a walk from starter Nate Beck. Erick Ramirez singled Serino to second and Waldrip’s chopper to short moved the runners to second and third. Leivi Ventura was then given an intentional pass to load the bases. Copa was next and he hit a high chopper to first that scored Serino. After Justin Forman stepped on the bag to force Copa, Ramirez never stopped running and tried to score but was gunned out by Forman to end the inning.
After a leadoff single by Steve Tramontozzi to start the Reds’ second, Desai got Ben Johnson to ground into a 6-4-3 doubleplay that was started on a diving stop by Nate Witkowski.
Witkowski, who was three for three on the night, doubled with one away in the bottom of the second but was left stranded when Beck struck out DiMare and then got Shane Stande on an outfield fly.
Walsh came on to start the third and immediately took charge. After a strike out and a fly ball, he gave up his only hit of the night to Gillis before striking out Chaisson to end the inning.
Beck retired the Chiefs in order in the bottom of the third and Walsh struck out two in the Reds’ fourth.
The Chiefs drew even with a two out run in the bottom of the fourth. After Beck got Ventura and Copa on fly balls, Kyle Dembrowski singled to left. Dembrowski then moved to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a Witkowski single. With two strikes on DiMare, Witkowski stole second with Dembrowski coming across to score the tying run on the throw. Beck stayed tough and struck out DiMare swinging for the second time in the game to keep it 2-2 heading for the fifth.
Walsh set the Reds down in order once again in the top of the fifth and the Chiefs responded and came up with four big runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 6-2 lead. Beck walked Stande and Serino to start the inning before a Ramirez single to right-center gave the Chiefs a 3-2 lead. Waldrip was then issued an intentional pass to load the bases. Ventura was next and the New York Met product greeted reliever Dan Haverty with the biggest hit of the night, a line single to right-center, scoring both Serino and Ramirez, to give the Chiefs a 5-2 lead. Chaisson then made the defensive play of the night when he snared a hard hit Copa grounder and from his knees started a 5-4-3 double play. With Waldrip now at third, Dembrowski singled to left to score him making it 6-2.
It was all Walsh again in the sixth and seventh as the lefty slammed the door with three strikeouts over the last two frames to secure the win.
Walsh faced just 16 batters in his five innings and struck out seven. Beck (0-2) took the loss.
Chiefs Chatter……Walsh earned the first win of his Chiefs’ career after returning to the club earlier this season. He first came onboard with the Chiefs in 2014 and spent two years with the team, winning an ICL championship and making 14 relief appearances, before moving on to the Arlington Trojans in 2016 & 2017. He went 4-3 for Bentley University this past spring, which included wins over Pace, St. Michael’s, AIC, and a 12 strikeout one-hitter against Nyack, that earned him Northeast-10 Pitcher of the Week honors….Witkowski raised his average to .379 .….The Chiefs hit the road for the next two nights. Tonight (Tuesday) they travel to Ferullo Field in Woburn to meet Alibrandis at 8:00 PM. On Wednesday they visit the Wakefield Merchants at Walsh Field in an early 6:00 PM start….
Dunphy Dazzles in 6-2 Win at Lexington
Lexington, MA- Tim Dunphy tossed a complete game six-hitter and Leivi Ventura, Kyle Dembrowski, and Nate Witkowski, along with newcomer Erick Ramirez, had two hits apiece to lead the Chiefs to 6-2 win over the Blue Sox on Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Chiefs ended a four game skid as part of the Intercity League’s annual Jerie DeAngelis Day of Baseball in Lexington. In other games played in Lexington on Sunday, the Melrose Americans knocked off the Malden Maddogs 9-3 and the Wakefield Merchants beat the Reading Bulldogs 3-1. The Watertown Reds-Somerville Royals game was suspended due to heavy rain in the second inning with the Reds leading 1-0.
Ramirez (Boston, MA/UMass-Dartmouth) personally handed Dunphy a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. In his first ICL at bat, Ramirez laced a double to left, stole third, and when catcher John Puttress’ throw sailed into left, he scored to give the Chiefs had a 1-0 lead.
That lead proved to be short lived when Ross Curley drilled a solo homer to left in the bottom of the first to tie the game at 1-1.
The Chiefs answered right back in the top of the second against Lexington starter and loser Casey Bussone, who entered the game with a 2-0 record and had not allowed an earned run in 10 innings. Consecutive singles from Ventura and Dembrowski, followed a Witkowski double, put the Chiefs up 2-1. Danny DiMare then reached on an infield error by Curley, that loaded the bases. Tony Serino then lofted a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Dembrowski, to make it 3-1. Ramirez followed with his second consecutive line hugging double to left, scoring Witkowski, to jump the lead to 4-1. Bassone escaped further damage when he got the dangerous Ben Waldrip to fly to medium left to end the inning.
Dunphy cruised through the bottom of the second and the Chiefs came up with a couple of more runs in the top of the third. Johnny Welch drew a leadoff walk and singles from Ventura and Dembrowski, who was just back after spending a few weeks with the Winnipesaukee Muskrats of the NECBL, made it 5-1. A Shane Stande two out RBI single, scored Ventura, giving the Chiefs a 6-1 cushion.
Dunphy and a trio of Lexington relievers, Alsis Herrera, Kevin Scanlon, and C.J. McKinnitt, threw blanks over the next three and half innings. The Blue Sox picked up an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh on a Welch error followed by a John Barry pinch-hit single.
Dunphy, who evened his record at 1-1, scattered six hits, struck out three, walked none, and needed just 72 pitches.
Today's game was broadcast live by Local Sports Productions. It can be seen at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLhiCN8QrGs
Chiefs Chatter….The route going effort was the 44th win for Dunphy in his Chiefs’ career…Ramirez supplied some immediate spark to the Chiefs’ lineup. After a stellar spring campaign at UMass-Dartmouth, the Cambridge Rindge & Latin product was picked up by the Chiefs after a stint with the Wareham Gateman of the Cape Cod League…..Former Boston Red Sox right-hander Manny Delcarmen made his ICL debut in a DH role with the Blue Sox. The 36 year-old appeared in 298 major league games for the Red Sox and Colorado Rockies from 2005-2010. He had spent the last several years playing in Mexico and Venezuela. Delcarmen most recently pitched for New Britain of the Atlantic League earlier in 2018 where he had a 2-1 record in six games…..The Chiefs are back in action on Monday when they host the Watertown Reds at Maplewood at 8:00 PM….On Tuesday the Chiefs play Alibrandis at Ferullo Field in Woburn at 8:00 PM before visiting the Merchants at Walsh Field in Wakefield on Wednesday in an early 6:00 PM start…..
Reds Hand Chiefs 4th Straight Loss, 11-4
The Reds jumped on starter Jared Freni for three quick runs in the top of the first inning on doubles from Kyle LaVigne and Logan Gillis, a single from Will Brennan, and an infield error.
Freni blanked the Reds in the second and third innings and the Chiefs closed the gap to 3-2 on Ben Waldrip’s two-run homer off Worth Walrod (3-0) in the bottom of the third.
It stayed 3-2 as Freni and Walrod matched zeros until the Reds scored twice, to take a 5-2 lead, in the top of the sixth on singles from Gillis, Jake Miller and Blasé Cormier.
The Chiefs came right back and closed the gap to 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth on Nate Witkowski’s two RBI double, scoring Leivi Ventura and Matt Nuzzo who had both singled.
The Reds blew things open in the top of the seventh sending a dozen men to the plate. The visitor’s scored six runs on just two hits against Freni and relievers David Kern and Austin Batchelor. Witkowski finally came to on pitch and got the last out of the inning.
Reliever Dan Haverty held the Chiefs scoreless in the bottom of the seventh.
Chiefs Chatter….The now 4-6 Chiefs are off until Sunday when they travel to Lexington to meet the Blue Sox at 1:00 PM…..Juan Portes left the game in the bottom of the first with an apparent pulled muscle…..
