Andre Chiefs

Wakefield, MA- Three runs on thirteen hits. 

Not bad offensive numbers for an ICL game. 

When that is your team’s total over a three game stretch, you are not going to put many “W’s” in the win column.  

Such is the latest saga of the Chiefs, who remain mired in a team-wide batting funk. The most recent chapter of non-production came on Wednesday night at Walsh Field when Trinity lefty and ICL all-star James Ramsey held the Chiefs to a single run for the third straight game. 

Ramsey was the story in this one as he surrendered just three hits, two of the infield variety, as the Merchants sent the unproductive Chiefs to their second straight defeat, 3-1. Chiefs’ right-hander Mike DiCato suffered the loss but certainly pitched well enough to win. 

The Merchants struck for two runs in the bottom of the second inning on singles from Jason Banos and Alex LiDonni and a Matt Russo double. 

After that, both DiCato and Ramsey made it a two man show with Ramsey not allowing a hit until rookie Dario Pizzano tripled with one out in fifth. 

The Merchants lead went to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth. L.J. Demaino singled and went to second when DiCato’s pickoff attempt skipped by J.P. Pollard. DiCato got Kevin Johnson to pop up and struck out Mike Sorrentino before Taylor von Kriengenbergh delivered Demaino with a two out single to center. 

The Chiefs averted the shutout picking up a run in the sixth and threatened for more. Hal Landers led off and beat out a bunt single. Brendan Pyburn followed with infield single that glanced off Johnson’s glove at shortstop and went into short centerfield, allowing Landers to move to third. Bob McCarthy then hit a roller at first baseman Jason Roth and Landers beat his throw home to make it 3-1 and leaving runners on first and second with nobody out. Ramsey slammed the door shut when he got Bercume on groundout and then got Crisafulli to hit into a 5-4-3 doubleplay. 

Ryan McNeill came on to work a scoreless sixth inning for the Chiefs and allowed a single to Jon Davison.  

Ramsey made easy work of the Chiefs in the top of the seventh, retiring Pollard and Pizzano on infield grounders and ending things when he got Peter Copa to foul out to third. 

Ramsey, who worked a scoreless 1-2-3 inning for the ICL in Sunday’s all-star game, struck out just one and did not issue a walk. 

DiCato, now 3-2, allowed just six hits in his five innings of work, struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. 

The Chiefs will try and rebound on Thursday when they host the Mooney Dental Tanners at Tufts University at 6:00 PM. Dan Lozeau is expected to get the starting assignment for the Chiefs.