Andre Chiefs

Melrose, MA- Jared Freni spun a six-hitter to lead the Chiefs to a 6-0 win over the Lexington Blue Sox in Game One of the Intercity League’s best of five championship series at Morelli Field on Wednesday night.

The big right-hander was solid from start to finish, striking out eleven batters.

The game remained scoreless, although both teams had their chances, over the first two and one-half innings.

The Blue Sox got two men aboard in the top of the first inning on a leadoff single by Jeff Vigurs and a two out single from Dave Ahearn. Freni struck out Dan Graham looking to end the inning.

Lefty starter Jimmy Hill set the Chiefs down in order in the bottom of the first inning.

It was three up and three down for the Blue Sox in the top of the second and Hill kept the Chiefs off the board in their half of the frame.

The Blue Sox threatened and loaded the bases in the top of the third inning after two were out. Ross Curley drew a walk on a 3-1 pitch. Steve Gath followed and singled deep into the shortstop hole. Freni then walked Ahearn on a count full to load the bases before striking out Graham to keep the scoreboard showing blanks.

The Chiefs broke through and took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Mike Barbati led off and reached on error by Hill when he missed first base covering on a grounder to Tommy Haugh. After a couple of missed sacrifice bunt attempts, Hill struck out Mike Burgoyne for the inning’s first out. Tony Serino was next and he legged out an infield single to the right side. Hill stayed tough and chalked up his second strikeout of the inning when he got Paul Yanakopulos swinging. The Chiefs got what proved to be the game winner when Juan Portes singled to center, scoring Barbati. Cleanup hitter Johnny Welch gave the Chiefs a 2-0 lead when he lined a double down the leftfield line that scored Serino and sent Portes to third. Hill got a big out when he struck out Gedman looking at a pitch on the outside corner that ended the inning.

Both teams got a runner to second base in the fourth inning. In the top half, the Blue Sox got a leadoff single from Justin Silvestro and he was sacrificed to second by Will Marcal. Freni kept the shutout intact by getting Haugh to ground to Barbati at second and then striking out Tommy McKenna on a 2-2 breaking ball. Similar scenario for the Chiefs in the bottom of the inning. Peter Copa drew a walk and Mike Andre moved him up a base with a bunt. Copa was stranded at second when Hill struck out Barbati and then retired Burgoyne on a hard liner to Ahearn in right.

The Blue Sox got Curley to second base in the fifth after he singled sharply to left with one out and then advanced into scoring position on a passed ball. Burgoyne then made the co-defensive play of the night and the inning when he went a long way to track down a Gath fly ball down the leftfield line for the second out of the inning. Ahearn was next and Copa turned in the second defensive gem of the inning when he made a big pickup of low Welch throw to retire the side.

The Chiefs threatened to add to their lead in the bottom of fifth. After Serino grounded out to Gath, Yanakopulos singled to left-center. Portes was next up he was called out on strikes for the second out. When the Chiefs’ shortstop he protested the call, he was ejected by home plate umpire Rick Cacciatore. It stayed a two run game when Hill got Gedman to fly to Marcal in left.

After issuing leadoff walk to Graham in the sixth, Freni bore down and struck out Silvestro, Marcal and Haugh, in order, to end the inning.

The Chiefs came up with four two out runs to give Freni some more breathing room in the home half of the inning. After Hill retired Copa and Andre, Barbati kept the inning alive with a single to right. Burgoyne followed and lined a single to center with Barbati moving to second. Serino then drew a full count walk, on a close pitch, to load the bases for Yanakopulos. The Chiefs’ catcher delivered when he singled to center, scoring both Barbati and Burgoyne, for a 4-0 lead. On the throw home to try and get Burgoyne, Yanakopulos went to second. That was the evening for Hill as righty Chris Law came out of the Lexington bullpen. Nate Witkowski, who took over at shortstop after Portes’ ejection, then hit a grounder over the third base bag then was gloved by Curley. Curley came up with the ball but skipped the throw low to Haugh at first with both Serino and Yanakopulos coming across the plate to make it 6-0. The play was scored as an infield single and an RBI for Witkowski and a throwing error. Law then struck out Welch to end the inning and send the game to the top of the seventh.

Freni caught McKenna looking at strike three for the first out before Vigurs lined an opposite field single to left. Curley legged out the backend of a doubleplay ball to Witkowski at short that forced Vigurs at second, to keep the game alive. Gath then drew a full count walk before Ahearn flew out to Serino in center to put the series opener in the win column.

With the win, Freni’s overall 2014 record jumps to 10-2, including 2-0 in the postseason.

Hill took loss for the Blue Sox and saw his season mark drop to 5-2, 0-1 in the playoffs.

Game Two is scheduled for Thursday night at Morelli Field at 8:00 PM with Game Three on tap at the same venue on Friday at 8:00 PM.
(Bruce Tillman, Bruce Hack-Stats & Boxcore, www.Pointsreak.com, Photos by Jim Valente) 

Melrose, MA- The Chiefs will be returning to the Intercity League’s Championship Series for the fourth consecutive season and the for the fifth time in the last six years.

Lefty Tim Dunphy assured the franchise would make yet another trip to the late summer classic with a nifty four-hitter that lifted the Chiefs to 6-2 win over the Reading Bulldogs in a nightcap elimination game on Monday night at Morelli Field.

A familiar dance partner will await the Chiefs in the best of five series in the presence of the Lexington Blue Sox, who punched their ticket on Sunday. For Lexington, it will be their seventh straight trip to the finals.

The Bulldogs got to the final game of the ICL’s first ever double elimination tournament with an impressive 7-0 win over the #3 seed Watertown Reds in the opening game of the evening.

Some fairly sloppy defense was the early theme of the nightcap. The two normally sure handed squads combined to make a half dozen errors over the first three innings.

The sloppiness began in the top of the first inning. Colby Maiola led the game off with a bouncer up the middle for a single. Ryan Wolfsberg followed and hit a hard grounder at Mike Barbati that had doubleplay written all over it after the second baseman made nice pickup of a short hop. But his throw to second base was low and skipped into leftfield with Maiola able to go to third. With runners on the corners and nobody out, the Chiefs came out of it unscathed when Dunphy got Kyle Devin to pop up, Harrison Smoske on a called third strike, and Mike Taylor to ground to Juan Portes at short.

Reading starter Sean Boyle struck out both Tony Serino and Billy Mottram to open the bottom of the first. Juan Portes followed and found himself standing on second base after right-fielder Aaron Santos misplayed his long fly ball to the rightfield fence. After the count went to 2-0 on Johnny Welch the Bulldogs chose to intentionally walk him. Portes and Welch then moved up to second and third on a wild pitch before Mike Gedman legged out an infield single, scoring Portes, to give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead. Gedman stole second uncontested before Boyle got Copa on a grounder to end the inning.

Dunphy retired the Reading side in order in the top of the second.

Boyle hit Mike Andre with a pitch to open the Chiefs’ second but rebounded when he got Barbati to pop up and Paul Yanakopulos to bounce into a doubleplay.

Reading took advantage of some poor Chiefs' defense to tie things up in the top of the third and should have taken the lead but ran themselves out of the inning. Bill Cataldo got things underway when he reached on an error by Welch at third. Maiola then dropped a sacrifice bunt down the first base line which Dunphy fielded and then threw the ball low and into rightfield, sending Cataldo to third. Wolfsberg was next up and he grounded out to Portes at short with Cataldo scoring on the play. Maiola then tried to advance to third and was gunned out by Copa for an unusual 6-3-5 doubleplay. Dunphy then struck out Taylor to end the inning.

The Chiefs used four hits, combined with another error, to score four times and take a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the third. Serino reached on an infield single and Mottram promptly plated him with a triple to right to make it 2-1. Portes gave the Chiefs a 3-1 lead when he drilled Boyle’s first pitch to center for an RBI single that scored Mottram. Welch followed with a single to left and Gedman moved both runners up with a two strike sacrifice bunt. That bunt paid dividends when Copa hit a sacrifice fly to shallow center to that scored Portes. Devin fielded the throw at the plate and then tried to get Welch, who was going to third, but threw the ball wildly into leftfield, allowing Welch to score and increase the lead to 5-1.

The margin went to 6-1 in the bottom of the fifth when Welch doubled to right-center and scored on Copa’s long single to left. Copa was thrown out on a close play at second trying to extend it to a double.

After an uneventful sixth, the Bulldogs scored a run in the top of the seventh on a Burton Deady double and a couple of infield grounders. Dunphy ended the night when he got Maiola on a grounder to Barbati.

For Dunphy, it was his 30th win in a Chiefs’ uniform. He struck out six and didn’t issue a walk. The former Brandeis standout raised his overall record to 9-1 this season.

Game One of the Championship Series will be on Wednesday night at 8:00 PM at Morelli Field. 
(Bruce Tillman & Todd Bloniarz for www.intercityleaguebaseball.com , Stats/Boxscore by Bruce Hack, Jim Valente-Photos)

Malden, MA- Drew Brzozowski threw a complete game four-hitter and the Lexington Blue Sox scored three runs in both the second and sixth innings to beat the Chiefs 6-1 in a winner’s bracket game at Pine Banks.

With the win, the Blue Sox advance to the Intercity League finals. The Chiefs will still have to win one more game to join them, as they must beat the winner of Monday’s Reading Bulldogs-Watertown Reds game. The Bulldogs and Reds will meet at 6:30 PM and the Chiefs will play the survivor at 8:30 PM. Both games will be played on Monday night at Morelli Field in Melrose as part of the ICL’s playoff showcase doubleheader that concludes this year’s double elimination format.

After a scoreless first inning, the Blue Sox got all of the runs that Brzozowski would need in the top of the second.  Five consecutive hits off starter and loser Mitchell Clegg produced three runs. After Jeff Vigurs flew out, Will Marcal and Mike Hart both lined singles to center. Justin Silvestro then drilled an opposite field double into the left-field corner, scoring both Marcal and Hart, to make it 2-0. Tom Haugh then followed with another double, scoring Silvestro, to make a 3-0 game. The Chiefs and Clegg escaped further damage when Ross Curley grounded into an inning ending Mike Barbati (unassisted) to Peter Copa doubleplay.

Mike Gedman reached on an infield single in the bottom of the second but the Chiefs couldn’t capitalize.

It stayed 3-0 as Clegg settled in nicely and set the Blue Sox down in order in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. Brzozowski was cruising as well over the middle innings, as the Chiefs could only muster a third inning single from Paul Yanakopulos and another Gedman single in the fourth.

Lexington came up with their second three spot of the game in the top of the sixth. Steve Gath led off with a triple to right-center. With the infield drawn in, Dave Ahern grounded out to Juan Portes at shortstop for the first out. Consecutive singles from Vigurs, Marcal, and Hart, and a passed ball, upped the lead to 6-0.

Brzozowski got the top of the Chiefs’ order 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth.

Clegg recorded the first out in the top of the seventh on a comebacker to the mound before giving way to Matt DiCato. DiCato got a couple of infield grounders, sandwiched around Gath’s third hit of the night, to the send the game to the bottom of the seventh with the Chiefs chasing six runs.

The Chiefs broke through and averted the shutout in their final at bat. Johnny Welch led off and reached on a two base error when his sky high pop up was dropped. Gedman lined softly to Gath out for the first out before Peter Copa drew a walk. Mike Andre followed and gave his team a moment of life when lined a single to left-center, scoring Welch, to draw the Chiefs to 6-1. Mike Burgoyne came on to pinch run for Andre and both he and Copa moved up to second and third on a wild pitch. Brzozowski finished as strongly as he started when he completed the deal by striking out Barbati swinging and Yanakopulos looking to end the game.

Brzozowski struck out seven and walked just one.

Clegg allowed 11 hits and struck out four in 6.1 innings.

In Sunday’s other games the Bulldogs eliminated the Wakefield Merchants 5-2 and the Reds scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to walk off for the second straight time over the Melrose Americans, 2-1.

MONDAY’S PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
6:30 PM Reading vs Watertown  (Morelli Field, Melrose MA)- Loser Eliminated
8:30 PM Reading/Watertown Winner vs. Chiefs (Morelli Field, Melrose MA)-Winner to Championship Series

Check www.intercityleaguebaseball.com for boxscores, playoff schedules, and updates.

(Bruce Tillman for www.andrechiefs.com, Boxscore & Stars by Bruce Hack, Photos by Jim Valente) 

Malden, MA- Jared Freni tossed 6.1 innings of one-hit baseball and Mike Gedman broke a scoreless tie with a two run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Chiefs found their rhythm late and went on to beat the Wakefield Merchants 8-0 at Pine Banks.

With the win, the Chiefs move on in the winner’s bracket of the ICL's double elimination playoff tournament. They will now host the Lexington Blue Sox on Sunday at 8:00 PM at Pine Banks on the Malden/Melrose line. The winner of that game will earn a place in the best of five championship series that begins next week.

Friday’s game had all the early makings of being “just one of those nights”, as the Chiefs stranded eight baserunners in scoring position over the first four innings. Wakefield righty Mike Andrews pulled off four consecutive "Houdini like" escapes, employing some big time clutch pitching while keeping the Chiefs’ side of the ledger blank until Gedman’s homer.

Freni allowed the Merchants’ lone hit of the night to Nick Murray with one out in the top of the first. Murray was then promptly erased when Scott Searles lined into a Mike Barbati to Peter Copa doubleplay to end the inning.

Andrews walked Tony Serino to start the bottom of the first and Paul Yanakopulos’ sacrifice bunt was thrown wide of first by Andrews for an error, putting two runners aboard with nobody out. Andrews then struck out Billy Mottram, got Johnny Welch on a shallow fly, before Gedman flew to the warning track in left-center to complete escape number one.

The Merchants went in order in the top of the second before Andrews sent the Chiefs home empty handed again in the bottom of the inning. Peter Copa drew a leadoff walk and went to third on Mike Andre’s single. Andre took second on the throw to try and get Copa at third and the Chiefs’ appeared to be cooking with men on second and third with no outs. Andrews came up “extra” big when he struck out Barbati, Mike Burgoyne, and Serino in succession to keep it a 0-0 game.

Wakefield got a runner in scoring position in the top of third. Freni hit Lou Tarantino with two outs and he proceeded to move to second on a breaking ball in the dirt. But it remained scoreless when Freni struck out Bobby Lossano swinging for the final out of the inning.

The Chiefs threatened once again in the bottom of the third. Andrews issued another inning opening base on balls, this time to Yanokopulos. Mottram followed and dropped a single down the left-field line. Andrews pitched out of his third straight jam by striking out Welch, getting Gedman on an infield grounder with the runners moving to second and third, and then striking out Copa on a breaking ball.

Freni struck out the Merchants’ side, sandwiched around a walk to James Ramsey, in the top of the fourth.

Round four of frustration came when Andrews thwarted the Chiefs one more time in the bottom of the fourth. After Andre lined to Jon Davison at first, Barbati and Burgoyne reached on consecutive singles. Both runners then moved up to second and third on Serino’s infield grounder to the right side. The Chiefs came up bare once again when Searles made a nice play of a Yanakopulos grounder in the shortstop hole and threw him out at first on a bang-bang play.

The Merchants got their second runner of the night into scoring position in the top of the fifth. Freni issued a free pass to Nick Napoli and Davison bunted him to second. The Merchants also couldn’t break the scoring ice as Joe Barry struck out and Tarantino grounded to Copa, to send the scoreless game to the bottom of the fifth.

Andrews got Mottram to fly to Tarantino in right for the first out of the fifth. Welch followed and tomahawked a single to left. Gedman was next and he finally got the Chiefs on the board when he cranked his two run homer to straightaway center.

The Merchants went quietly the top of the sixth before the Chiefs erupted for six runs to finally put the game away in their half of the inning. Barbati got things going with a single to center and Burgoyne bunted him to second. Serino then upped the lead to 3-0 with a single to left that scored Barbati. Yanakopulos drew a walk and John Russlillo came on in relief of Andrews. Russolillo walked Mottram to load the bases for Welch. The clean-up hitter then drilled a laser double just inside the third base bag that scored Serino and Yanakopulos to make it 5-0. Russolillo then uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Mottram to score the sixth run. Gedman picked up his third RBI of the evening when he reached on an infield single, scoring Welch, to run the lead to 7-0. Copa then drew another walk, and Andre followed with his second single of the game, to re-load the bases. Barbati picked up an RBI with an infield grounder, scoring Gedman, to make it 8-0.

Freni got Kevin Mortimer on a groundout for the first out of the seventh before giving way to Gedman. The big southpaw got Napoli on an infield chopper before striking out Davison to end the game.

Freni struck out eight and walked three. With the win he raised his overall 2014 record to 9-2.

Andrews gave up eight of the Chiefs’ eleven hits in 5.1 innings of work, struck out six, and walked four.

ICL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
SUNDAY, AUGUST 17
# 5 Wakefield Merchants at # 4 Reading Bulldogs- Morton Field, Reading 4:00 PM-Loser eliminated.
# 6 Melrose Ameriacns at # 3 Watertown Reds-Victory Field, Watertown 5:00 PM-Loser eliminated
# 2 Lexington Blue Sox at # 1 Andre Chiefs-Pine Banks, Malden 8:00 PM
(Pine Banks is located on the Malden/Melrose line at approximately 100 Main St, Melrose MA 02176) 

(Bruce Tillman for www.andrechiefs.com Photos by Jim Valente)

Melrose, MA- Mike DiCato and Jared Freni combined on a five-hit shutout, and Johnny Welch’s sixth inning triple was the difference, when the Chiefs edged the Wakefield Merchants 1-0 in the first game of a three team doubleheader to clinch the Intercity League’s 2014 regular season pennant. In the process they secured the #1 seed as well as an opening game bye in the upcoming double elimination playoff tournament that will eventually lead to two finalists that will play a best of five series.

For the Chiefs, it was their second consecutive regular season crown and the eighth since they became the Andre Chiefs in 1989.

Monday night’s games were switched to Morelli Field after a contractor severed a power line in the parking lot that abuts Maplewood Park late in the afternoon, causing all power to the facility to be lost.

The clincher did not come easy, courtesy of Wakefield lefty Kyle McCarthy who threw an outstanding game and frustrated Chiefs’ hitters all night long.

DiCato, the Chiefs' veteran right-hander, was equally as tough, shutting out the Merchants over the first four innings before giving way to fellow veteran Jared Freni, who blanked Wakefield over their final three at-bats.

DiCato got the Wakefield side in order in the top of the first and the Chiefs’ mounted a mini threat in the bottom of the inning. After two groundouts, McCarthy hit Billy Mottram with a pitch. Welch then singled before McCarthy got Mike Gedman to ground out sharply to second, ending the inning.

The Merchants got two baserunners aboard with two outs in the top of the second when Jon Davison reached on an infield error and Joe Barry followed with a single. DiCato kept it scoreless when he got Anthony Cruz to groundout to Nate Witkowski.

Peter Copa led off the bottom of the second with a single but was erased when Mike Barbati grounded into a 6-4-3 doubleplay.

The Chiefs went the defensive doubleplay route as well in the top of the third when Lou Tarantino led things off with a single but was dispatched when Bobby Lossano bounced into a 5-4-3 twin killing.

The Chiefs got a one out infield single from Mike Burgoyne in the bottom of the third before McCarthy got Paul Yanakopulos to bounce out and then struck out Mottram swinging.

The Merchants had their best scoring chance in the top of the fourth. Scott Searles led the inning off with a single. James Ramsey then flew to Burgoyne in center for the first out before Kevin Mortimer singled to put two runners on with one out. DiCato then got Davison to line to Mottram in left and struck out Barry swinging to send the game to the bottom of the fourth.

Welch began things in the fourth with his second straight single of the night. Gedman then drilled a fly to deep right-center than was tracked down by Lossano for the first out. McCarthy stayed tough and got Copa to ground into a 6-4-3 doubleplay, ending the inning.

Freni emerged out of the Chiefs’ bullpen to begin the fifth inning. He got Cruz to fly to Gedman in right, retired Tarantino on a come backer to the mound, before surrendering a right-center field double to Lossano. He kept the Merchants off the scoreboard when Nick Murray grounded to Welch at third.

McCarthy retired the Chiefs in order in the bottom of the fifth when Barbati grounded out, Mike Andre lined out to Lossano, and Witkowski popped up.

Freni was dominant in the top of the sixth, getting Searles on a groundout, and then struck out Ramsey and Mortimer in succession.

The Chiefs got the game winner in the bottom of the sixth. McCarthy got Burgoyne to line out sharply to right-field for the first out. McCarthy’s only free pass of the night would prove costly when he walked Yanakopulos on a full count. Mottram then struck out for the second out. Welch followed and once again put the Chiefs fortunes' on his back and delivered yet another game changing hit. With Yanakopulos running on a 2-2 pitch, Welch drilled a line shot over Lossano’s head in center for a triple, easily scoring Yanakopulos. McCarthy kept it a 1-0 game when struck out Gedman on a breaking ball.

Freni came out of the gate with a just a little extra on his fastball and never left the issue in doubt. The big right-hander struck out the side (Davison, Barry & Cruz) in order, to secure the Chiefs’ second straight pennant.

DiCato gave up four hits and struck out three in his four innings. Freni went to 8-2 with the win. He worked three innings, struck out the last five batters he faced, and allowed just one hit.
Bruce Tillman for www.andrechiefs.com Photos by Jim Valente.