Andre Chiefs

GAME TWO- Chiefs 5, Americans 1
There was more work to do for the Chiefs as they packed up their gear and headed across town to Playstead Park for a 4:00 PM date with the Americans.

This one had serious playoff implications as an Americans win would have put them in the driver’s seat for a second place finish. Lefty Dylan Ellis (4-1) had other ideas as he stopped the Americans on just four hits in the 5-1 complete game win. 

The Chiefs jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning against Americans ace Dave Martin, who entered the game with a 3-0 mark and league leading 0.26 ERA, having allowed just two earned runs in 27 innings. Peter Copa drew a leadoff walk but Martin caught Mike Andre looking for the inning’s first out. Justin Crisafulli followed and drilled a long single off the base of the fence in left-center that moved Copa to third. With runners on the corners, rookie Dario Pizzano hit a high chopper to Americans second baseman Luke Begley, who only had time to force Crisafulli at second, allowing Copa to score. With Pizzano running on the pitch, catcher Bob McCarthy then lined a single to right with Pizzano taking third. Hal Landers drew Martin’s second walk of the inning to load the bases. Americans first baseman Dave Ahern then made an outstanding grab of a hard hit Brendan Pyburn one-hopper and beat him to the bag to avert further scoring and keep it a 1-0 affair. 

Ahern’s play loomed even bigger in the bottom of the inning when the Americans tied the game at 1-1. Ellis got the first two outs of the inning (Mike Kalfopoulos fly-out, Mike Ferriero strike out) before walking Steve Napier on a 3-2 pitch. Jay Olson made that walk hurt when he drilled a blast off the fence in center scoring Napier to tie the game. Ellis kept it even when he struck out Steve Tahmoush to end the inning. 

The Chiefs came right back in the top of the third to re-take the lead at 2-1. Martin retired Mike Bailargeon on a fly to left for the first out and Jeff Bercume drew a walk. Copa then bounced back to Martin for the second out of the inning with Bercume taking second. Andre then delivered what proved to be the game winning hit when he singled to right scoring Bercume. Martin got Crisafulli to pop up to end the inning. 

Ellis took charge in the next two frames retiring six in a row, including striking out the American’s side in order in the fourth. 

The Chiefs gave their southpaw some breathing room in the top of the fifth. Bailargeon led off and drilled his first ICL home run to right center that jumped the lead to 3-1. Bercume was then hit by a Martin pitch and Copa drew his second walk of the game to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Andre then dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt moving the Bercume and Copa up a base. Crisafulli came up big and lined a single to center scoring both runners and upping the margin to 5-1. 

Ellis survived an outfield miscue by Bercume in centerfield off the bat Napier to lead off the fifth and Martin held the Chiefs scoreless in the top of the sixth. 

The Americans appeared poised to mount a comeback in the bottom of the sixth but Ellis and some outstanding Chiefs defense prevented that. Mike DelPonte led off with a single up the middle and Ahern drew a walk to put two men on with nobody out. Ellis then got a huge out when he struck out K.C. McCarthy swinging. Kalfopoulos then hit a hard hit ball at Copa at first, who made a nice play behind the bag, and beat Kalfopoulos to the base for the second out. With runners now at second and third, Ferreiro hit a tough chopper at Andre at third. The Chiefs veteran charged and gloved the ball on a short hop and threw Ferreiro out at first to end the inning at keep the game at 5-1. 

Martin retired the Chiefs in order in the top of the seventh. 

Ellis got Napier to ground to Bailargeon to open the Medford seventh. Olson then kept the Americans hopes alive when he collected his second hit of the day to right. But it was all Ellis from there as he got Tahmoush to hit into a fielder’s choice and ended the game when Begley grounded to Pyburn. 

Ellis, from Merrimack College & Gloucester, struck out eight and lowered his ERA to 1.44.