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Alibrandis Take Another Extra Inning Win Over Chiefs 8-6
The Chiefs jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on doubles from Ben Waldrip and Johnny Welch. The lead went to 2-0 against Sean Sullivan in the bottom of the third on a Erick Ramirez double, a Waldrip basehit, and Welch’s long single off the top of the fence in left.
Meanwhile starter Tim Dunphy was cruising along through the first three frames. Alibrandis scored an unearned run in the top of the fourth on a Bobby Barrett single, a stolen base, and an infield error to cut the lead to 2-1.
Alibrandis took a 3-2 lead after two were out in the top of the fifth. Consecutive infield hits from Juan Parra and Mike Maguire, followed by a Barrett single to left, then a Dave Lightbody single to right, put the visitors in front.
The lead went to 4-2 in the top of the sixth. Consecutive singles from Gordie Gronkowski, Matt Hendriksen, and Mark Addesa loaded the bases with nobody out. Dunphy and the Chiefs traded two outs for a run when Anthony Perry bounced into a 6-4-3 doubleplay.
Welch cut the lead to 4-3 with a one out solo homer in the bottom of the sixth.
Maguire led off the top of the seventh with a sinking liner to right that the diving Ramirez let get past him for a triple. A Barrett single, and a Hendriksen two out line hugging double off reliever David Kerns, jumped the lead to 6-3 heading to the bottom of the seventh.
The Chiefs came back and tied things up in the bottom of the seventh. Danny DiMare led off and beat out a bunt single. Reliever Lew Jensen walked Shane Stande and then hit Ramirez with a pitch to load the bases. Matt Nuzzo popped up for the first out before Waldrip cut the lead to 6-4 with a single to center. James Cramphin spelled Jensen to face Welch he and hit a high pop up behind third base that fell for single to make it a 6-5 game. Leivi Ventura’s sacrifice fly to center then plated Ramirez with the tying run. The Chiefs had a chance to win it but Cramphin got Aaron Williams, who had come on to pinch run for Peter Copa in the top of the sixth, to ground out to shortstop.
A bunt from Perry, a single from Parra, a walk, and then sacrifice flies from Barrett and Lightbody gave Alibrandis the lead right back at 8-6 in the top of the eighth.
Cramphin got the lower third of the Chiefs' lineup in order in the bottom of the eighth to seal the win.
Chiefs Chatter…With the loss the Chiefs fall back to .500 on the season at 9-9…..They are off until Monday when they will host the Wakefield Merchants at Maplewood at 8:00 PM…..Welch went 4-4 and raised his average to .481…..
Chiefs Rout Royals Behind Walsh Pitching 15-0
Walsh (2-2) allowed just two infield singles, one to Soren Hanson in the second and the other to Ryan Hood in the third.
It was a wire to wire offensive assault by the Chiefs’ batters led by Matt Nuzzo who had a three run homer, three hits, and five RBI’s. Johnny Welch wasn’t far behind with a bomb two run homer, three hits, and three RBI’s. Leivi Ventura chipped in with his third home run of the season and a couple of RBI’s. Tony Serino (2 hits, RBI), Ben Waldrip (2 hits, RBI) both had multiple hit games for the Chiefs.
Walsh (2-2) worked the first six innings before giving way to former Medford High ace Jack Fargo who looked sharp in his ICL debut. The UMass-Boston bound righty struck out two batters and didn’t allow a hit in the bottom of the seventh. Walsh and Fargo combined for a season high 15 strikeouts.
Former Seattle Mariners product Paul Covelle (2-1) went the first four innings and took the loss.
Chiefs Chatter…. The Chiefs are back in action on Wednesday night when they host Alibrandis at Maplewood starting at 8:00 PM…..
Stande Gives Chiefs 5-4 Walk Off Win
The Chiefs had to come from behind, took the lead, and then had to come from behind again, to finally come away with the hard fought win. The Melrose defense was simply outstanding all night long and denied the Chiefs game winning bids on three separate occasions.
Tim Dunphy set the Americans down in the first and the Americans defense came up big in the bottom of the inning. Matt Nuzzo doubled and Ben Waldrip drew a walk before Johnny Welch bounced into an inning ending doubleplay.
The Americans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on a Dave Center leadoff double, a walk, and RBI infield grounder from Dan Cacciola.
The Chiefs got two more runners on in the bottom of the second on a Peter Copa single and a walk, but Shawn Smeglin pitched out of it by striking out Stande and getting Mike Burgoyne on an infield popup.
Dunphy got three straight groundouts in the top of the third and the Chiefs threatened again in the bottom of the inning but couldn’t score. Two out singles from Nuzzo and Waldrip went by the boards when Copa hit a hard liner right at shortstop Charlie Huegi.
The Chiefs finally tied the game up in the bottom of the fourth on a Nate Witkowski single, a wild pitch, and a Kyle Dembrowski RBI double.
Welch’s sacrifice fly, scoring Nuzzo who had tripled to right, gave the Chiefs a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth.
The Americans came right back and went ahead 4-2 in the top of the sixth on singles from Huegi and John Jennings, and a three-run homer by Center.
The Chiefs wasted a leadoff double from Witkowski in the bottom of the sixth and Clegg came on and worked a scoreless seventh, getting a big assist from Burgoyne who threw out Mike Goddu trying to go to first to third on a Will Shackleford basehit to center.
Erick Ramirez led off the Chiefs' seventh with a single that chased Smeglin. Nuzzo was next and he greeted reliever Kyle Autilio with another single. Aaron Williams came on to run for Nuzzo and Waldrip’s grounder moved the runners up to second and third. Welch followed and tied things up with a clutch ground rule double to right-center. Danny DiMare pinch ran for Welch and Copa was intentionally passed. The game moved to extras when Autilio got Witkowski on a fly to deep left and then struck out Dembrowski.
David Kerns kept the Americans off the board in the top of the eighth and two defensive gems prevented the Chiefs from winning the game in the bottom of the inning. Stande led off with single and Burgoyne bunted him to second. Ramirez then hit a screaming liner that Shackleford grabbed with a lay out diving catch at third. Williams was next and he hit a chopper that Huegi bobbled at short. Stande never stopped running from second and Huegi recovered in time to throw to catcher John Jennings who made the game saving sweep tag to end the inning.
The Chiefs finally won the game in the bottom of the ninth. It was more solid Melrose defense to open the inning when Casey Santos-Ocampo made a nice play on a Waldrip grounder for the first out. DiMare was next and he laced a double to the fence in right-center. Casey Goldenberg then intentionally walked Copa. DiMare beat the throw to third on a Witkowski grounder to short to load the bases with one away. Goldenberg struck out Dembrowski for the second out before walking Stande on a full count check swing to give the Chiefs the win.
Kerns 2-1 got the win while Goldenberg (0-1) took the loss. The Chiefs outhit the Americans 13-7 in the game.
Reading, MA- Alex Mandrus allowed just two hits in five innings, and relivers Pat Jordan and Kyle Wollman held off the Chiefs in the final two frames, when the Bulldogs took a 1-0 shutout win at steamy Morton Field on Sunday afternoon.
The Chiefs wasted a gutty performance from lefty Evan Walsh who scattered five hits and saw the winning run score on a third inning wild pitch.
The Chiefs hit the ball well (nine outfield flies) but were unable to break into the scoring column and only had runners in scoring position twice in the game.
Walsh and Mandrus tossed blanks until the Bulldogs scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the third. Luke Hall drew a one out walk, went to second on a Darren Hartwell single to left, moved to third on an infield grounder, and scored on a Walsh low wild pitch.
Erick Ramirez, who had two of the Chiefs four hits, launched a one out double to the base of the centerfield wall in the top of the fourth but was stranded when Ben Waldrip grounded out and Matt Nuzzo flew to deep left.
The Bulldogs threatened in the bottom of the fourth on an infield error and singles from Joe Hodapp and Kyle Breenan. Walsh escaped when he got Andrew Moccia to bounce into a 6-4-3 doubleplay.
After a quiet fifth and sixth, the Chiefs mounted their biggest threat of the game in the top of the seventh. Wollman struck out Ramirez to open the inning but consecutive singles from Waldrip and Nuzzo put runners on first and second with one away. Kyle Dembrowski, who had a grand slam on Wednesday, then launched a high shot to the fence in left that Hodapp caught on the warning track for the long second out. With pinch runner Mike Burgoyne breaking for third, Wollman got Nuzzo to fly to Mason Campbell in right to end the ballgame.
Mandrus, 2017’s Rookie Pitcher of the Year, upped his record to 2-1 while Wollman recorded his first save. Walsh (1-2) gave up five hits in six innings and struck out three.
Chiefs Chatter…..The now 7-8 Chiefs are back in action on Monday night when they host the Melrose Americans at Maplewood/Malden Catholic at 8:00 PM in the last game before the annual Fourth of July Break….The Chiefs added Medford High ace Jack Fargo to the roster. Fargo, who joined the club on Sunday, will be playing his college ball for former Watertown Reds’ catcher Brendan Eygabroat at UMass-Boston……Following Monday’s game, the Chiefs return to ICL play on Tuesday, July 10 when they begin the second half on the road at Trum Field vs the Somerville Royals…. In other Sunday games, the Watertown Reds and Wakefield Merchants split a doubleheader at Walsh Field…..
Statistics & Game Summary courtesy of Anthony Zeolie
