Andre Chiefs

Lexington, MA- Mike Gedman came on with the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning and proceeded to retire all four batters he faced, including two K’s, to keep the Chiefs’ lead intact in a 5-3 win over the Blue Sox on Sunday night. Gedman’s save preserved the win for fellow southpaw Tim Dunphy, who raised his record to 8-1 on the year.

With the road win, the Chiefs’ secured themselves a playoff bye and leapfrogged both the Blue Sox and Watertown Reds and moved into first place. The regular season concludes on Monday night with a rare three team doubleheader at Maplewood. The Chiefs meet the Wakefield Merchants at 6:45 PM and will play the Blue Sox again immediately following.

In Sunday’s game, the Chiefs jumped on Lexington starter Jimmy Hill for a couple for runs in the first inning. Tony Serino got things underway when he led off the game with an opposite field double down the leftfield line. Paul Yanakopulos then grounded to Steve Gath at shortstop for the first out. Billy Mottram gave the Chiefs a quick lead with a line single to right-center, scoring Serino. Hill then hit Welch and walked Gedman to load the bases. Peter Copa popped up for the second out and Hill’s wildness continued when he walked Mike Barbati with the bases loaded to make it 2-0. Hill escaped further damage when he struck out Mike Andre swinging on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning.

Tommy McKenna was thrown out by Dunphy trying to bunt his way aboard leading off the bottom of the first. Ross Curley then singled before Mottram made a Sports Center worthy stop of a Gath seed to third, fired to second to force Curley, but Barbati’s throw to first was low and skipped by Copa. With Gath at standing at second, Dunphy got Dave Ahern to groundout to Johnny Welch to send the game to the second inning.

Offense abandoned both clubs over the next three frames as Hill settled down and retired the Chiefs in order in the second, third, and fourth. Dunphy was equally as tough, as he faced the minimum of nine batters over the bottom of those innings. The only runner to reach base was when Dunphy walked Gath with one out in the fourth. Gath was dispatched when Ahern hit into a 4-6-3 doubleplay.

The Chiefs made some bigtime two out noise in the top of the fifth inning. Yanakopulos lined a single to left and Mottram followed with a double into the rightfield corner. Welch then send a 1-1 Hill pitch deep into the left-center field night, giving the Chiefs a 5-0 lead. For Welch, it was his league leading 8th homer of the year and his fourth in the last four games.

The Blue Sox closed the gap to 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth. Dan Graham led things off with a single to left. Mike Hart then lined a single to right with Graham stopping at second. The Blue Sox then caught a break when Justin Silvestro’s potential doubleplay grounder took a bad hop and Lexington was in business with the bases loaded and nobody out. In one of the more bizarre plays of the year, Tommy Haugh hit a chopper off the plate that went over Copa’s head at first and into short rightfield with Graham and Hart scoring. When Haugh got caught and then was tagged out in a rundown between first and second, Silvestro broke for the plate and scored the third Lexington run. Dunphy regained his form and got John Puttress and McKenna to both ground out as the game headed to the sixth with Chiefs’ holding a 5-3 lead.

Aidan Freeburg came out of the Lexington bullpen and got Copa and Barbati on fly balls and Andre on a groundout in a 1-2-3 top of the sixth.

Curley lined a single to left to begin the Blue Sox sixth. Serino turned in what perhaps is the Chiefs’ defensive play of the year, when he made a spectacular diving grab of a Gath shot that was labeled for the right-center field gap. Serino got to his feet and fired a strike to Barbati, who made a perfect relay to Copa to double off Curley at first. That play turned out to be even bigger when Ahern lined Dunphy’s next pitch for a double. That signaled the end of the night for Dunphy who gave way to Gedman. Gedman went 2-2 on the always dangerous Graham before getting him swinging to end the inning.

Mike Burgoyne reached on an error by Silvestro to lead off the Chiefs’ seventh. Serino then bunted Burgoyne to second and he went to third on a wild pitch. Freeberg recorded two big strikeouts and kept it a two run game when he got both Yanakopulos and Mottram both swinging.

Gedman was in control in the seventh striking out Hart swinging and then getting Silvestro and Haugh on infield grounders.

The Chiefs in winning their seventh straight game, saw their record climb to 22-6 on the year.
(Bruce Tillman for www.andrechiefs.com, Bruce Hack- boxscore & stats, Jim Valente-photos)

Melrose, MA- Johnny Welch hit two homers, including a sixth inning grand slam, and drove in six runs, to power the Chiefs past the Melrose Americans 11-3 on Thursday night at Morelli Field.

The Chiefs broke open a 3-3 tie, sending 10 men to plate in the sixth inning, when they scored seven runs.

Chiefs’ starter Mitchell Clegg and the Americans’ Gianni Esposito were locked in a scoreless duel until the Americans took a 1-0 in the bottom of the third. The run came on an opposite field double by Austin Masel and an RBI infield single from Greg Wilson.

The Chiefs came right back and scored three times in the top of the fourth. Juan Portes reached on an infield error and Welch gave the Chiefs a 2-1 lead when he drilled a two run homer to center. A Peter Copa walk and singles from Mike Barbati and Matt Boleski jumped the lead to 3-1.

The Americans tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth. Shawn Doyle led off with a single off Welch’s glove at third. Masel followed with a single to left. Bobby Rosano moved the runners up with a sacrifice bunt before Mac Singleton drove them both home with a gap shot double to right-center. Clegg got Wilson on an infield grounder and then retired Mike Addesa on fly out to keep it a tie game.

Rosano made a nice sliding catch on a Peter Copa liner to leading off the sixth before Barbati doubled into the right field corner. Paul Yanakopulos then reached on a throwing error with Barbati scoring on the play. Matt Boleski and Tony Serino drew consecutive walks and Mike Burgoyne lined a single to right to give the Chiefs a 5-3 lead. Boleski scored the sixth run on a passed ball. Mike Peters came out of the Americans’ bullpen and issued a walk to Portes. Welch made it 10-3 when he crushed a grand slam deep over the left-field fence.

Clegg retired the side in order in the bottom of the sixth, including two K’s.

The Chiefs added their final run in the seventh against Ryan Covelle on a Burgoyne infield hit and an error.

Clegg (3-0) allowed six hits and struck out nine. –Bruce Tillman for www.andrechiefs.com

Wakefield, MA- Jared Freni limited the Merchants to two singles, and his mates backed him with ten hits, when the Chiefs turned back Wakefield 4-1 at Walsh Field on Wednesday night.

After a scoreless first inning, the Chiefs got to Wakefield starter Scott Searles for a couple of runs in the top of the second. Mike Gedman got things started with a single to right-center. After Mike Barbati bunted Gedman to second, Paul Yanakopulos tripled to left, scoring Gedman for a 1-0 Chiefs’ lead. With the Merchants’ infield drawn in, Matt Boleski singled past shortstop Nick Murray to score Yanakopulos giving the Chiefs their second run. Searles got Adam Lucey to ground out and Tony Serino to pop up to end the frame.

A two out single from Anthony Cruz is all the Merchants could generate against Freni in the bottom of the second.

The Chiefs’ lead went to 3-0 in the top of the third when Johnny Welch hit an absolute moon shot solo homer into the trees beyond the left-field fence. For Welch, it was his league leading fifth round tripper of the season.

The Merchants narrowed the margin to 3-1 in the bottom of the third. John Grossi drew a leadoff walk and Bobby Lossano blooped a single to right. Both runners moved up a base on Nick Murray’s sacrifice bunt. Mike Sorrentino then hit a chopper to right of the mound that scored Grossi, with Freni throwing out Sorrentino at first on the play. Freni ended the threat when he got James Ramsey swinging to end the inning.

Freni and Searles matched blanks over the next two innings before the Chiefs added a run in the top of the sixth. After Gedman grounded out, Barbati doubled into the left-centerfield gap. Yanakopulos followed with a line single to center, scoring Barbati, increasing the lead to 4-1. Boleski then singled to center before Searles kept it a three run game when he got pinch-hitter Billy Mottram to pop up and Serino to fly to Sorrentino in left.

Freni walked Sorrentino to lead off the Wakefield sixth before Ramsey grounded out, Kevin Mortimer struck out, and Jon Davison on lined out to Mike Burgoyne in right.

Burgoyne led off the top of the seventh with a long double to left-center but the Chiefs couldn’t capitalize. Seales got Juan Portes to fly out, struck out Welch swinging, and retired Gedman on a deep fly to Lossano in center.

Freni sealed the win when he dispatched the Merchants in order in the bottom of the seventh by getting Cruz to fly to Serino in center, and then striking out Joe Barry and Grossi in succession to end the night.

Freni struck out seven and walked three. With the win, he raised his season mark to 7-2 on the year. Searles (0-1) surrendered ten hits, struck out four, and didn’t walk a batter.

Chiefs Chatter….. Wednesday’s win was the Chiefs fifth in a row….The Chiefs hit the twenty win (overall) plateau for the seventh year in a row and for the 20th time since they became the Andre Chiefs in 1989….Mike Barbati remains torrid at the plate and has taken over the top spot in the ICL batting race. The veteran second baseman currently checks in at lofty .441, ahead of the Watertown duo of Kyle LaVigne (.423) and Sean Callahan-Montague (.406) as the only three ICL hitters above the .400 mark….. The Chiefs have four of the top six hitters in the league as Mike Andre (.375), Juan Portes (.375) and Johnny Welch (.373) occupy the fourth, fifth, and sixth spots…..Welch leads the league in homers with five and RBI’s (tied) with 22. Andre is third league-wide with 20 RBI while Portes is sixth with 18…..The Chiefs played Wednesday’s game without Peter Copa or Andre in the lineup…..The Chiefs travel to Morelli Field in Melrose to meet the Americans on Thursday at 7:30 PM…..Bruce Tillman for www.andrechiefs.com

Waltham, MA- Chiefs' outfielder Matt Bolseki had one of the more important at-bats of his career when he got married on Saturday night.

The nine year ICL veteran took the plunge and tied the knot with the lovely Sarah Anne Sergi of Waltham, MA at a ceremony held at Our Lady's Comforted of the Afflicted Church.

Many of Boleski's Chiefs' teammates were in attendance at the reception that followed at the prestigeous Stonehurst at the Robert Treat Paine Estate. 

The new Mr. and Mrs. Boleski will reside in Waltham, MA. 

(Text by Michelle Elliot. Photo Courtesy of Kathy Andre)

Lexington, MA- The Chiefs scored three times in the top of the first inning and then rode the pitching of Jared Freni to shutout the Blue Sox 3-0 on Wednesday night.

The game featured a fine pitching matchup between two of the Intercity League’s best pitchers, Freni and Blue Sox ace Matt Karis.

The Chiefs got all the runs they would need, and all the runs that were scored in the game, in their first at bat. Karis walked Tony Serino on four pitches to start the game. Paul Yanakopulos then dropped bunt with Karis’ throw pulling Tommy Haugh off the bag at first. Juan Portes flew out to center for the first out before Johnny Welch gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead when he singled up the middle, scoring Serino. Mike Gedman then lined a single to right to load the bases. Karis got Peter Copa to pop up for the second out before walking Mike Andre to force in Yanakopulos with the second run. Mike Barbati then hit a slow chopper toward shortstop Steve Gath that went for an infield single and a 3-0 Chiefs’ lead. Karis averted further damage when he struck out Mike Burgoyne with the bases loaded to end the inning.

Freni struck out Tommy Bourdon, got Jeff Vigurs on a grounder to Copa, and retired Gath on a comebacker in the Blue Sox first.

Serino drew Karis’ unusual fourth walk leading off the second, but Yanakopulos bunted too hard forcing Serino at second, Portes struck out swinging, and Welch popped up to end the inning.

Lexington mounted its biggest scoring threat in the home half of the second inning. After Freni struck out Dave Ahern looking, Dan Graham dropped a single into right-center and Ross Curley followed with a thick grass single between the mound and shortstop. Will Marcal then drove a long fly to straightaway center which Serino caught up with on the warning track for the second out, with Graham tagging and going to third on the play. The Blue Sox scoring chance went by the boards when Freni got Haugh to ground out to Portes.

In the Chiefs third, Karis got Gedman to flyout and then walked Peter Copa and Mike Andre in succession. Barbati then grounded out, forcing Andre at second, and sending Copa to third. With two strikes on Burgoyne and Barbati running, Karis picked off Barbati (Haugh to Gath) to end the inning.

Freni had his strongest inning in the bottom of the third when he struck out the side in order.

Karis walked Serino for the third consecutive time with one out in the fourth but then struck out Yanakopulos on a breaking ball and then got Portes to groundout.

Ahern doubled into the leftfield corner with one out in the Blue Sox fourth before Freni struck out Graham and Curley popped up to Welch ending the inning.

Welch reached on an infield error to start the Chiefs’ fifth before Gedman struck out for the first out. Copa then got Welch to second with an infield grounder. Lexington centerfielder Mike Hart turned in the defensive play of the night, when he made a diving catch of an Andre shot to deep right-center, keeping it a 3-0 game.

Freni got the Lexington side in order in the bottom of the fifth, including two strikeouts, and Karis set the Chiefs down 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth.

Hart drew a walk to start the Lexington sixth before Freni picked him off for the first out. He then got Jeff Vigurs to fly to Gedman in right and Gath to ground to Welch to end the inning.

Karis enjoyed his second 1-2-3 inning in row in the top of the seventh when Yanakopulos grounded out and Portes and Welch both struck out.

Freni walked Ahern to start the bottom of the seventh before he got Graham to ground into a 4-6-3 (Barbati to Portes to Copa) doubleplay. The final out of the game came when Curley grounded out to Portes at shortstop.

Freni raised his record to 6-2 with the win. He struck out eight and walked two and needed 106 pitches (67 for strikes) to complete the shutout.

Karis (2-1), did not allow a hit after the first inning and finished with a three-hitter as well. The big righty struck out six, but also walked six batters. He threw one more pitch than Freni (107) in the game.

After the Blue Sox travel to Woburn on Thursday to play the Tanners at Ferullo Field, the Chiefs and Blue Sox will meet in a rematch on Friday back in Lexington at 8:00 PM. -
Bruce Tillman for www.andrechiefs.com