Andre Chiefs

Malden, MA- Veterans Dan Graham and Steve Gath hit back to back homers in the fourth inning, erasing a 1-0 Chiefs lead, and lifting the Lexington Blue Sox to a 8-1 win at Maplewood on Monday night.

Things started well for the Chiefs as Mike Gedman made his first start of the season and was dominant at times, striking out ten batters, along with retiring the first eight batters of the game in a row.

After Gedman worked a quick top of the first, centerfielder Mike Hart robbed Chiefs’ leadoff man Tony Serino of extra bases when he made a nice running catch of a liner in left-center. Peter Copa then singled, but the Chiefs couldn’t capitalize when Blue Sox starter Aidan Freeburg got Juan Portes to hit into a 4-6-3 doubleplay.

Gedman was impressive again in the top of the second, retiring the side on a fly to Serino, a groundout, and a strikeout.

Freeburg hit Johnny Welch with a pitch to open the Chiefs’ second. Third baseman Ross Curley made a nice play on a Gedman sacrifice bunt to throw him out at first, with Welch moving into scoring position. Freeburg then got Mike Barbati on an infielder grounder and then walked Mike Burgoyne to give the Chiefs runners on the corners with two outs. Freeburg kept the game scoreless when he struck out Danny DiMare to end the inning.

Gedman struck out Gath and Dave Ahern to begin the Blue Sox third before catcher Alex Voitik became Lexington’s first baserunner of the night when he reached on a single into the shortstop hole. Gedman stayed strong and struck out the side when he got Adie swinging.

The Chiefs took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. After rookie catcher John Prentice flew to Adie in left for the first out, Serino singled up the middle and then stole second. Copa grounded to Gath at shortstop for out number two before Portes singled to left, scoring Serino. Freeburg walked Welch but Gedman grounded out to first ending the inning.

Gedman struck out Curley leading off the fourth but the tide began to turn when Garrett Smith and Hart both singled sharply to right. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch but Gedman continued his strikeout campaign when he retired Dorian Rojas swinging for the second out. Graham, as he has done so many times in his long ICL career, turned the game on one swing of the bat when he delivered a three run shot to straightaway center, putting the Blue Sox in front 3-1. Gath followed and cranked a bomb of his own over the left-field fence bumping the lead to 4-1.

The Chiefs got two runners on base in the bottom of the fourth on a Burgoyne single and a Prentice walk. They couldn’t cut into the lead when Freeburg got Serino on a comebacker to end the threat.

The Chiefs threatened again in the bottom of the fifth but once again Freeburg turned them back empty handed. A two out laser double from Welch and a line single by Gedman put two more runners on base. Freeburg worked out of it by getting Barbati on yet another bouncer back to him.

The Blue Sox made it a 5-1 affair in the top of the sixth on a Hart single and a long RBI double to right-center by Graham.

Ryan Sonberg cranked a two out pinch hit double in the bottom of the sixth but Freeburg stranded another Chief in scoring position when Serino grounded out to Gath.

The Blue Sox added three more runs in the seventh. Gedman hit Voitik with a pitch and gave way to Evan Walsh. Adie then placed a perfect bunt single that moved Voitik to second. Nate Witkowski came on to face the right-handed hitting Curley and he moved both runners up a base with a sacrifice bunt. Consecutive singles from Smith and Hart, and an RBI grounder by Rojas, accounted for the final runs of the game.

Freeburg improved to 6-1 with the win. The RPI righty allowed seven hits and struck out two in his six innings of work. Borja Jones-Berasaluce worked a scoreless seventh for Lexington with two strikeouts.

Gedman, (0-1) took the loss despite the ten K’s. He surrendered six runs and eight hits and didn’t issue a walk in his six innings plus

The reeling Chiefs, now 17-8, will look to rebound and hault their three game losing streak when they meet the Watertown Reds at Victory Field on Wednesday at 7:45 PM. -Bruce Tillman, Bruce Hack, and Pointstreak.com

Wakefield, MA- Veteran right-hander Jarrod Marchesi threw a six-hitter, and another Wakefield veteran Mike Sorrentino, delivered a two-out, two RBI single, in the bottom of the fifth inning, to lead the Merchants to a 2-1 win over the Chiefs at Walsh Field on Sunday.

After a scoreless first inning, the Chiefs struck first in the bottom of the second. Johnny Welch doubled down the right field line and went to third on Mike Gedman’s grounder to the right side. Peter Copa gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead when he delivered a sacrifice fly to center. Consecutive singles from Mike Andre and Mike Burgoyne followed, but Marchesi got out of the inning when Nick Leva grounded out.

Chiefs’ starter Jared Freni allowed a single to Joe Barry in the Wakefield second.

Marchesi made quick work of the top of the Chiefs’ order in the third and Freni enjoyed a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the inning.

The Chiefs threatened but could not score in the top of the fourth. Welch and Gedman led off the inning with singles. Copa was next and he hit a shot to right-center that Bobby Losanno tracked down for the first out. Ryan Sonberg, hitting for Andre, who tweaked a hamstring and left the game, was next and Marchesi caught him looking at strike three. Marchesi escaped the inning when Burgoyne bounced back to him to retire the side.

Freni had two strikeouts in the bottom of the fourth and the Chiefs left Billy Mottram stranded at third in the top of the fifth. Mottram drew a two out walk, stole second, and went to third when Barry’s thrown went into centerfield. That was as far as Mottram got when Marchesi struck out Juan Portes swinging to end the inning.

The Merchants got the game winning runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Clay Yiancopulous led off with an infield single and was sacrificed to second. Lou Tarantino then drew a walk, and Losanno reached on a bunt single in front of the mound to load the bases. Freni struck out Scott Searles for the second out of the inning before Sorrentino delivered a single to left, scoring two runs, and giving the Merchants the lead a 2-1. Both runners moved to second and third on the throw home but Freni kept it a one run game by striking out James Ramsey.

The Chiefs couldn’t do anything with a Gedman one out single in the top of the sixth.

Mike DiCato came on in relief of Freni in the bottom of the sixth and surrendered an infield single to Mike Mangoonian leading off the frame. Barry bunted Mangoonian to second but DiCato got two infield grounders to send the game to seventh.

In the Chiefs seventh, Burgoyne lined out to right for the first out. Danny DiMare then pinch-hit for Leva and singled up the middle. Marchesi then retired Tony Serino on a groundout, and got Mottram on a fly ball, to end the game.

Marchesi upped his record to 2-3 with the win. He struck out four and walked won.

Freni saw his recored fall to 4-1. He gave up five hits in five innings and struck out eight.

Chiefs Notes….Mike Andre recorded his 300th career hit in the second inning. He then had to leave the game with a hamstring issue. Andre now joins Justin Crisafulli, Mike Langston, Mike Barnes, Dave Clivio, and Warren Olson, in the Chiefs 300 hit club….It was the first time since July 11 and 12 of 2012 that the Chiefs have lost two straight games….The Chiefs are right back in action on Monday night when they host the first place Lexington Blue Sox at Maplewood at 8:15 PM…..

Medford, MA- Chiefs' rookie outfielder Danny DiMare has committed to play for D-2 St. Leo’s in western Florida.

DiMare, of Medford, MA, will begin his career this fall for the Lions and Head Coach Sean O’Connor. O’Connor pitched for the Lexington Blue Sox in the 1990’s. He is a native of Framingham, MA, and before being named coach of St. Leo’s, was a scout for the San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies, and Seattle Mariners.

DiMare is graduate of Malden Catholic. He is the son of former ICL player John DiMare and the nephew of former Medford Mustangs shortstop Don DiMare.

In his first season with the Chiefs, DiMare has appeared in 15 games and has made the most of his limited opportunities. Appearing as an and outfielder and catcher, he has four hits in 11 at-bats and is hitting at a .364 clip.

The Lions finished the 2015 spring season with a 36-13 record. They play in the Sunshine State Conference with the likes of respected programs like Lynn, Nova Southeastern, Barry, Rollins, Tampa, and Eckerd.

Malden MA- Mitchell Clegg threw four shutout innings of two-hit relief, and Mike Andre drove in two runs with a double and a single, to lead the Chiefs past the Somerville Thunder 3-1 on Wednesday night at Maplewood Park.

Clegg was dominant in his outing, coming on in the top of the fourth for starter Matt DiCato.

The Thunder got a one out double from Jake Cintolo in the top of the first inning but DiCato induced two grounders to Mike Barbati to end the inning and keep the Somerville club off the board.

The Chiefs took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first off starter Mike Ganci on back to back two out doubles from Juan Portes and Mike Andre.

DiCato got the first two outs of the second before surrendering a two out single to Shawn Smeglin. He ended the inning by getting Dan Marks to ground to Nate Witkowski.

The Chiefs came up with a blank in the bottom of the second despite three consecutive walks to Barbati, Witkowski, and Mike DiCato. George Crowley hosed Barbati trying to steal third for the first out before Nick Leva bounced into a doubleplay.

Rob Caggiano led off the Thunder third with a single, stole second, and scored on Crowley’s RBI single up the middle that tied the game up at 1-1.

Ganci set the Chiefs down in order in the bottom of the third when Tony Serino grounded out, Mike Burgoyne lined to center, and Juan Portes flew to deep right.

Clegg came on to replace DiCato to begin the fourth and retired the side in order, including a strikeout.

Andre drew a walk to open the Chiefs’ fourth and went to second on a wild pitch. Ganci then struck out Ryan Sonberg for the first out before Barbati singled to right-center moving Andre to third. Witkowski then grounded into the Chiefs’ second inning ending double play of the game keeping the score at 1-1.

Clegg got three consecutive groundouts in in the top of the fifth and the Chiefs came up with what proved to be the game winning run in the bottom of the frame. DiCato and pinch-hitter John Prentice drew consecutive walks. Tony Serino then lined a single to right, scoring DiCato, to give the Chiefs a 2-1 lead. Burgoyne then sacrificed the runners to second and third. Portes was next and he was intentionally walked to load the bases. Andre then delivered his second RBI of the night with a single to center, that scored Prentice, to run the lead to 3-1. Mike Masulli came on to replace Ganci and he kept it a two run game when he got Sonberg to pop up to second and then Barbati on an inning ending infield grounder.

Luke Ronchi singled with one out in the top of the sixth before Clegg reached back and struck out James McConville and Mike Kinch to retire the side.

Masulli worked a quick 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth.

Clegg struck out both Smeglin and pinch-hitter Steve Ohanesian to open the seventh before Knight kept the Thunder alive with a line single to right-center. Clegg struck out the side when he got Caggiano looking to end the game.

Clegg, the former Washington Nationals left-hander, struck out six in his four innings of work and evened his season record at 1-1. Ganci fell to 0-2 with the loss.

Lexington, MA- Left-hander Alsis Herrera struck out nine batters, and took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, when the Blue Sox beat the Chiefs 7-3 in Lexington on Thursday night.

Herrera retired the first eleven batters of the game until he issued a two out walk to Mike Barbati, and then a single to Nate Witkowski, in the top of the fifth.

The Blue Sox jumped on Chiefs starter Tim Dunphy early when they picked up three runs in the bottom of the first. Kyle Adie’s leadoff infield single, a line single to right-center by Ross Curley, and back to back doubles from Mike Hart and Dorian Rojas, led to the runs.

The Blue Sox added a couple of more runs to take a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the third on another Curley single and a two run homer to left by Garrett Smith.

The lead went to 7-0 in the bottom of the fourth. When Alex Voitik led off the inning with Lexington’s ninth hit of the game, Evan Walsh came out of the bullpen to replace Dunphy. After getting Adie to line out and Curley to pop up, Smith doubled to center, scoring Voitik, and Hart followed with a single to left, scoring Smith.

After the Chiefs got their aforementioned two baserunners in the top of the fifth, Walsh got the Lexington side in order in the bottom of the inning.

The Chiefs tried to make it a ballgame in the top of the sixth when they cut the lead to 7-2 on Tony Serino’s bunt single, Juan Portes’ RBI double, a Johnny Welch single, and a Peter Copa RBI single.

Mike Gedman came on in relief of Walsh in the bottom of the sixth inning and retired Blue Sox in order.

The Chiefs picked up an unearned run in the top of the seventh of reliever Chris Law. Barbati reached on a throwing error by Curley and Witkowski beat out an infield single to left side. John Prentice then hit a grounder to Steve Gath at short, forcing Witkowski at second and sending Barbati to third. When Voitik’s throw to try and get Prentice stealing second sailed into centerfield, Barbati scored the Chiefs third run. Law ended things by striking out Serino and then getting Mike DiCato to ground out.

Herrera, a native of the Dominican Republic, who pitched at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa, ended up allowing five hits in his six innings of work. Dunphy suffered his first loss of the season and saw his record fall to 4-1.

The 17-4 Blue Sox return to action on Friday when they host the Somerville Thunder at 8:00 PM.

The Chiefs, now 17-6, are off until Sunday when they travel to Walsh Field in Wakefield to meet the Merchants in a 5:00 PM start. -Bruce Tillman, Bruce Hack, and Pointstreak.com