Andre Chiefs

Malden, MA- Mike Gedman had three hits and three RBI’s and Jared Freni threw five shutout innings when the Chiefs blanked the Arlington Trojans 10-0 at Maplewood on Monday night.

Freni (2-0), picked up his second win in as many starts on the young season. The right-hander allowed four hits and struck out eight. Matt DiCato worked his third straight 1-2-3 inning of the season in the sixth and older brother Mike DiCato did the same when he got the Arlington side in order in the seventh.

Gedman (3-4, 3 RBI) led the way at the plate with a first inning RBI double and RBI singles in both the fourth and fifth innings. Billy Mottram drove in a couple of runs with a fifth inning triple and a sixth inning sacrifice fly. Mike Andre and Peter Copa each went 2-3 with an RBI.

Mike Burgoyne and Nate Witkowski added doubles and Johnny Welch, Tony Serino and Mike Barbati, (all with RBI singles), rounded out the Chiefs’ 14 hit offense.  

The Chiefs are scheduled to play the Blue Sox in Lexington on Tuesday at 8:00 PM.

On Wednesday, they will return home to Maplewood to host the Melrose Americans at 8:15 PM.

Lexington, MA- Due to heavy rain in the Lexington area, Tuesday night's scheduled Chiefs at Blue Sox game has been rained out.

Rick DeAngelis and the Blue Sox management made the call at 6:30 PM.

It was to have been the first meeting of the year between the two teams who have met in the ICL finals for the past four years, and for five out of the last six seasons.

The Melrose Americans vs. Somerville Thunder game, that was scheduled for 8:30 PM at Trum Field in Somerville, was also washed out. 

The Chiefs will resume play on Wednesday evening when they host the Melrose Ameriacns at Maplewood Park (Malden Catholic) starting at 8:15 PM. 

Medford, MA- Former Chiefs' slugger and future ICL Hall of Famer Justin Crisafulli has been added to the Chiefs' Coaching Staff for the 2015 season.

The 16 year Chief veteran is the career leader in all offensive categories. He tops the lists in home runs with 91, RBI's with 417, and hits with 567.

Crisafulli began his Chiefs' career as a rookie in 1994. He starred at Medford High before appearing with Arizona Western Junior College in the JUCO World Series. He went on to complete his college career at Central Missouri State, where he played in another World Series, this time in Divison 2.

He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 17th Round of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft and later signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1997.

Crisafulli retired as a Intercity League player in 2011. His number 33 was recently retired by the Chiefs' franchise.

Justin will join Manager Chuck Andre and Coaches Paul Crisafulli, Steve Calabresi, John Veneziano, and Anthony Durkee on the 2015 staff.

He will serve as the Chiefs' Hitting Coach.

Malden MA- The Chiefs used five pitchers, who combined for eleven strikeouts and a two-hitter, to turn back the Somerville Thunder 3-2 in the home opener at Maplewood Park on Wednesday night.

If you arrived late and missed the first inning, then you missed all of the scoring that the two teams would offer on this unusually cold June evening.

The first year Thunder came out of the box strong as first two hitters recorded their only hits of the night, giving them a quick 1-0 lead off starter Tim Dunphy. Former Chief Rob Caggiano led off and dropped a single in front of Mike Gedman in right. Jake Cintolo followed and promptly drove Caggiano in with a triple to right. Dunphy then struck out Doug Diaz for the first out. With the Chiefs’ infield drawn in, Western Oklahoma’s Elvis Rodriguez hit a grounder to Mike Barbati at second. Barbati fired home, but when Cintolo retreated back to third, catcher Nick Leva wheeled and fired wide of first in an effort to get Rodriguez allowing Cintolo to waltz home on the throwing error. Dunphy stopped the scoring there as he got Justin Scencabaugh (another former Chief) on a grounder and then James McConnville on a fly ball.

The Chiefs went right to work in the bottom of the inning when they scored three times against Zanif Pajaztovic but could have had more. Serino and Paul Yanakopulos started things off with back to back singles. Billy Mottram came on to pinch run for Yanakopulos, who was nursing a hip issue. 2014 MVP Johnny Welch then delivered them both with a triple to right, tying the game at two. Gedman followed and reached when Pajaztovic misplayed his bouncer back to the box with Welch holding at third. With Gedman running on the pitch, Peter Copa drove Welch home with a RBI grounder to third. Gedman never stopped running but was thrown out at third on a rare 5-3-5 doubleplay. Mike Andre was next and drove a Pajaztovic pitch into the right-centerfield gap but was erased at second trying to stretch it to a double.

That was it in the scoring department for the night despite the fact that the Chiefs had nine hits but they left seven men on base.

The Chiefs pitching assumed control from the second inning on. With a rainout on Monday, Jared Freni’s complete game no-hitter on Tuesday, and a light opening week ICL schedule, Manager Chuck Andre chose to give his staff some much needed work. They responded by retiring 20 of the last 21 hitters they faced with a fifth inning walk being the only blip.

Dunphy rebounded and worked a 1-2-3 second, Matt DiCato, who was credited with win, retired the Thunder side in order in both of the third and fourth innings, with four strikeouts. Lefty Evan Walsh worked a scoreless fifth and Mike DiCato cruised through a three up-three down sixth with two more K’s. Mitchell Clegg ended the night in style for the staff when he struck out the Somerville side in order in the seventh to chalk up the save.

In addition to the four first inning hits, two Gedman singles in the second and fifth innings, Leva’s two out single in the fourth, Mottram’s gap shot double and a Copa line single to left in the fifth, produced the other Chiefs’ hits.

Beverly, MA- Jared Freni picked up just where he left off last August, and then some!

The veteran righty appeared to be right back in playoff form when he spun a no-hitter at the Reading Bulldogs to lead the Chiefs to 3-0 opening night win at chilly Endicott College on Tuesday.

Freni actually took a perfect game into the sixth before he issued a two out walk to Bill Cataldo.

Reading starter Sean O’Neill was nearly as good through the first 4.2 innings until the Chiefs broke up the scoreless game when they picked up all three of their runs in the top of fifth.

O’Neill retired the Chiefs in order in the top of the first and Freni struck out two of the three Bulldogs he faced in the bottom of the frame.

O’Neill went the strikeout route himself, striking out the first two batters in the top of the second. Mike Andre delivered the first Chiefs’ hit of the year to right-center but Nate Witkowski bounced out to Burton Deady at third to end the inning.

Freni struck out the Reading side in order on 14 pitches in the bottom of the second.

O’Neill got Mike Barbati, Nick Leva, and Tony Serino to all ground out in the top of the third. Freni struck out the two Bulldogs in the bottom of third before Deady grounded out to Peter Copa at first to retire the side.

The Chiefs threatened with two away in the fourth but couldn’t break the ice. After O’Neill got Mike Burgoyne to ground out and Billy Mottram line to Darren Hartwell in center, Mike Gedman drilled a triple into the right-centerfield gap. Copa was then hit by a pitch before O’Neill kept the game scoreless when he got Andre to fly to Cam Farnham in left.

Freni struck out the top of the Reading order in succession in the bottom of the fourth.

The defending champs scored all of the runs in the game after two were out in the top of the fifth. Witkowski and Barbati flew out for the first two outs of the inning before Leva singled to left. Tony Serino then followed with another single. Burgoyne gave the Chiefs the lead with the inning's third straight hit, a double down the left field line that scored Leva. The lead went to 2-0 when Serino came across on an infield error and Burgoyne scored the third run on a wild pitch. Gedman was then hit with a pitch and Copa walked to load the bases. Nick Quartro came on in relief of O’Neill and kept the Bulldogs in reach when he got Andre to ground out.

Freni struck out the side for the third time in five innings in bottom of the fifth.

Witkowski led off the sixth and reached when Quartro overthrew his grounder back to the box. Barbati sacrificed Witkowski to second before Quartro struck out Leva for the second out. The Chiefs couldn't add to their lead when Serino grounded out on close play at first to end the inning.

In the Reading sixth, Freni struck out Cody Hall, walked Catado, got Deady on a groundout, and then Farnham on a fly ball to Serino in center to send the game to the seventh.

Burgoyne led off the Chiefs’ seventh and drew a walk. Mottram flew to Hartwell for the third time in the game before Burgoyne went to second on a wild pitch. Gedman grounded out to shortstop, sending Burgoyne to third, before Copa struck out.

In the Reading seventh, Freni got Ryan O’Conner to bounce back to him for the first out. Hartwell followed and became the second Bulldog to reach base when Mottram gloved his grounder but threw wide of first for an error. Following his 15th strikeout of the night, Freni ended things and preserved the shutout and no-hitter when Taylor grounded out to Barbati to end the game.

For Freni, who picked up his 51st win in a Chiefs’ uniform, it was the second no-hitter he has thrown in his ICL career dating back to his rookie season with the Chiefs in 2006. His first career no-hitter came on June 12, 2013, when he struck out 14 batters in a 2-0 win over the Watertown Reds at Victory Field.

Freni needed 99 pitches to complete Tuesday’s gem.

The Chiefs will host the Somerville Thunder in their home opener at Maplewood Park on the campus of Malden Catholic tonight (Wednesday) at 8:15 PM.