Andre Chiefs

By Bruce Tillman
Medford, MA- Centerfielder Jeff Bercume (4-4) was a one man offensive show and the Chiefs got an outstanding two-hit pitching effort from rookie Rob Machado and veteran Danny Lozeau as they nipped the Testa Corp. Bombers 2-1 in eight innings on Monday evening at Tufts University. With the win, the Chiefs take a 2-1 lead in the best of five semi-final series. 

The Bombers got their only run of the night in the top of the first inning. Machado issued a two out walk to Josh Klimkiewicz. Clean-up man Nick Martinho followed and gave the Bombers a quick 1-0 lead when he blasted a long double to the right-centerfield gap scoring Klimkiewicz.  

Bombers starter Anthony Del Prete kept the Chiefs off the scoreboard until they tied the game up in the bottom of the third. Brendan Pyburn led off and drilled a double to the wall in right-center. Brian Macrina then grounded out to shortstop Joe Papa with Pyburn taking third. Bercume brought Pyburn home with the tying run, delivering a single just inside the first base bag. Bercume stole second but Del Prete kept it a 1-1 game when he struck out Mike Baillargeon and got Mike Andre on an infield grounder. 

Machado worked a 1-2-3 fourth and Del Prete, the ICL’s all-star starting pitcher the past two seasons, yielded only a leadoff single to Justin Crisafulli in the bottom of the inning. 

Machado issued a two out walk to Jay DeFillipo in the fifth before getting Vin Eruzione on a fly ball to end the inning.  

After Pyburn and Macrina both grounded out to start the home half of the fifth inning, Bercume drilled a two out triple to right-center. Del Prete got tough once again and caught Baillargeon looking to keep the game tied at 1-1. 

In the top of the sixth, Machado struck out Klimkiewicz swinging (his only K of the night) and then issued a four pitch walk to Martinho. The Chiefs defense came up big once again as Machado got Stan DeMartinis to bounce into a 4-6-3 (Baillargeon to Pyburn to Macrina) doubleplay. 

Del Prete, who pitched professionally for three seasons in Evansville, Indiana, had a rocking chair sixth inning, retiring Andre on fly to left, Crisafulli on a fly to right and Dario Pizzano on hard grounder back to him. 

The Bombers threatened to take the lead without the benefit of a hit in the top of the seventh as Machado began to show some fatigue in the 85 degree heat. Mike Adessa flew to Pizzano in left for the first out and Steve Wadsworth drew a five pitch walk. Papa was next up and he and hit a chopper to Baillargeon’s left. The second baseman’s only play was to first base, throwing Papa out as Wadsworth moved into scoring position. Machado then walked his second batter of the inning (Steve Buitkus) and sixth of the night. With Machado’s pitch count at 96, Chiefs manager Chuck Andre opted to go to the bullpen and summoned Lozeau. Lozeau went up in the count 1-2 to DeFillipo before hitting him with a breaking ball that loaded the bases. Eruzione followed and hit a one-hopper to Andre at third who gloved the ball and stepped on third to end the threat. 

Del Prete was still dealing in the bottom of the seventh. He got catcher Bob McCarthy to fly to right for the first out. Hal Landers followed and bounced a single up the middle representing the winning run. Pyburn then hit a screaming liner Eruzione at second who fired to Klimkiewicz at first to double up Landers sending the game into extra innings. 

Things looked a bit ominous when Lozeau issued the Chiefs seventh walk of the night to Klimkiewicz leading off the Bombers eighth. But the former twenty game winner at Bryant University, let Klimkiewicz get no further as he settled down to retire Martinho on a pop up, DeMartinis swinging on strikes and Adessa on fly out to Bercume. 

Del Prete got Macrina to ground out to Adessa at third for the first out of the Chiefs eighth setting the stage for Bercume’s heroics. The speedy centerfielder beat out an infield roller to second base for his fourth consecutive hit of the night. With Baillargeon at the plate, Bercume took off for second and Wadsworth’s throw sailed into centerfield allowing him to get back to his feet and race to third. Del Prete’s 1-2 pitch to Baillargeon skipped away from Wadsworth just far enough to allow Bercume to slide across the plate with the winning run as the Chiefs dugout emptied to mob him. 

Machado surrendered just two hits in his 6.2 innings of work and Lozeau picked up the first playoff win of his career.

Del Prete, scattered eight hits, struck out four and did not walk a batter. 

Chiefs Chatter….Ryan McNeill will take the mound for the Chiefs against the Bombers Mike Hashem when the teams hook up in Game Four of the series on Tuesday night at East Boston Stadium at 8:00 PM…..The Chiefs were forced to go without Peter Copa who suffered a hamstring pull on Sunday….The Game Three win was the Chiefs first extra inning playoff win since 2002 when they beat the Wakefield Merchants 1-0 in nine innings at Tufts behind Paul Koslowski….Machado threw a one-hitter against Lexington in his last regular season start and combined with Monday's outing he has now allowed just three hits in his last 13.2 innings...