Andre Chiefs

Medford, MA- Justin Crisafulli recorded his 500th career hit, (see seperate story) a first inning RBI double, and the Chiefs made four first inning runs stand up, in a 4-1 win over the Arlington Trojans at Tufts University.

Mike DiCato (3-0) threw a neat four hitter, in a game that took only one hour and eighteen minutes to complete. Along with Crisafulli’s double, Hal Landers and Matt Boleski had first inning two-base hits and Peter Copa, Bob McCarthy, Mike Andre, and Mike Barbati added singles.

Trojans’ starter Mike Griffin (1-2) settled in nicely after the rocky first inning and threw shutout ball the rest of the way.

Arlington rookie Greg Wilson broke up DiCato’s shutout bid with a solo homer in the sixth.

DiCato, struck out four and needed only 74 pitches to complete his night's work. The former UMass-Amherst and Malden Catholic standout was aided by some outstanding defense as his infield mates turend three doubleplays. The final out of the game was made on a spectacular play by Chiefs shortstop Tony Deshler.

The Chiefs, now 12-3-2, will enjoy the traditional July 4th Break and return to action next Wednesday when they travel to Lexington to meet the Blue Sox at 8:00 PM.

Watertown, MA- The Chiefs rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh inning, all with two out and nobody on base, to break a 1-1 tie and send them home from Watertown with a 5-1 win.

Tony Deshler got things going in the seventh when he blooped a two out single to right off Reds starter Charlie DeFrancesco. Deshler went to second on a wild pitch and Hal Landers delivered him with the go ahead run when he doubled to left-center just out of the reach of the diving Josh Chasse. Catcher Bob McCarthy followed and lined a single to right scoring Landers to give the Chiefs 3-1 lead. Brendan Casey replaced DeFrancesco and Mike Baillargeon greeted him with his fifth homer of the year, a two run shot over the left field wall making it 5-1.

On the other side of the ledger, Dylan Ellis was outstanding once again on the mound and raised his record to 5-0 on the season. The former Merrimack College southpaw allowed only a second inning unearned run and scattered three hits on the night. He struck out a season high ten batters, and retired the last ten men he faced in row.

Watertown took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning when veteran Steve Busby drilled a one out double to right. Bryan Evans followed with a chopper to Baillargeon at shortstop which he charged and threw low to first allowing Busby to score.

The Chiefs tied the game in the top of the third when Brian Macrina led off with a gap shot double to left-center. Deshler bunted Macrina to third and Landers RBI groundout to second scored him with the equalizer.

Jared Freni (1-1) will get the start when the 10-3-1 Chiefs host the Reading Bulldogs on Wednesday night at 6:00 PM at Tufts University.

Medford, MA- Jared Freni struck out ten in six innings of work, Mike Andre hit a three run homer and had four RBI’s and veteran Justin Crisafulli added a solo home run, to power the Chiefs past the Reading Bulldogs 9-4 at Tufts University on Wednesday.

Freni, who previously starred at UMass-Amherst, allowed just four hits and raised his record to 2-1 on the season.

Andre, who co-captained Merrimack College in 2009, went two for four including his sixth inning homer over the right field wall. For Crisafulli, it was the 87^th homer of his long ICL career. The former Cleveland Indians slugger now has 499 hits in a Chiefs uniform.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning as Bryant University’s Brian O’Neil matched Freni pitch for pitch until Crisafulli deposited his solo shot over the left field wall.

The Chiefs scored five times in the fifth inning on singles by Hal Landers, Bob McCarthy, Andre (RBI), Peter Copa, Matt Anderson and Crisafulli.

It quickly went to 9-1 in the bottom of sixth inning when Andre’s homer scored McCarthy and Brandeis University's Tony Deshler ahead of him.

Rob Machado came out of the Chiefs’ bullpen to begin the seventh and got touched up for a bases clearing double from Pete Castoldi that accounted for the 9-4 final.

Worcester, MA- Chiefs infielder Mike Baillargeon of Worcester signed a professional contract with the Worcester Tornadoes of the Can-Am League on Wednesday. Baillargeon was hitting a lofty .385 with five homers and 14 RBI, thru the first fifteen games of the Chiefs season.

Baillargeon hit a two run homer for the Chiefs at Watertown late Tuesday night and the Tornadoes came calling immediately after the game. Baillargeon signed a contract on Wednesday morning and was in uniform that night against Pittsfield. He has gone 0-2 for the Tornadoes in his first two games. Baillargeon and the Tornadoes are spending the Fourth of July weekend in Canada playing a three game series against Quebec City.

The former Assumption star had previously signed professionally and played winter ball with the Weribee Giants in Australia earlier this year. He was named as the NE-10 Player of the Year in 2009 and selected to the Rawlings Baseball NCAA D-2 All American team and to the NCBW all-America team. Baillargeon was also named to the ECAC D-2, NCBWA, ABCA and Daktronics all East teams. He batted .393 as a college senior with a team-record 84 hits, and 11 homers. He was named  team captain three consecutive years at Assumption and set career marks in games (187), games started(187), at bats(731), hits(267), triples(15) and sacrifice flies (11).

Baillargeon hit .261 for the Chiefs last summer with a homer and nine RBI's in 15 games. He becomes the second Chief to sign this year as centerfielder Jeff Bercume had earlier signed with the Oakland A's. Bercume is currently hitting .242 for Oakland's single A affiliate in Vancouver.

To replace Baillargeon on the active roster, the Chiefs have activated former Cassell slugger Tim Dempsey. Dempsey has been on the DL since the start of the season with a nose fracture. He had previously starred at UConn and later UMass-Lowell and was voted as the 2006 ICL's Playoff MVP when he led Cassell to their first ICL championship. From 2006-2008 Dempsey hit .390 for Cassell with six home runs.

Wakefield, MA- Former Trinity right-hander Kevin Tidmarsh spun a complete game five-hitter and his mates backed him with a dozen hits as the Merchants knocked off the Chiefs 5-1 at Walsh Field.

The Merchants took a 2-0 lead that they never relinquished in the bottom of the first inning off Chiefs starter and loser Tim Dunphy. Former Red Sox farmhand Steve Langone gave the Merchants a quick 1-0 lead when he tripled in leadoff man John Zagaria from Lynn University who had singled. Mike Sorrentino made it a 2-0 lead when he drove Langone in with another single.

The game stayed at 2-0 until Mike Baillargeon hit his fourth homer of the year, just inside the left field foul pole, leading off the fourth inning.

That was as close (2-1) as the Chiefs would come on this night. A triple by Orlowitz, leading off the Wakefield fourth inning, followed by consecutive singles from Jon Davison, Dale Crispin and Matt Russo made it 3-1 and chased Dunphy. Tufts’ right-hander Pat O’Donnell came on with the bases loaded and one out and promptly struck out Zagaria. When the third strike got a few feet away from Chiefs catcher Bob McCarthy, Crispin attempted to score and was out at the plate in a peculiar inning ending doubleplay.

The Chiefs threatened to tie it up but came up empty in the top of the fifth. Matt Anderson got things going with a single and McCarthy was hit by a Tidmarsh pitch. After two unsuccessful bunt attempts, Brian Macrina lined out sharply to left. Hal Landers then flew out to centerfield for the second out. With the Baillargeon at the plate, Tidmarsh threw a wild pitch to move both runners up into scoring position. Baillargeon was caught looking on an outside corner, full count, fastball that got the Merchants out of the inning.

Wakefield got some breathing room when they ran the score to 5-1 in the sixth. The Merchants got to O’Donnell on infield singles by Scott Searles and Langone and a big two RBI double from Davison.

Tidmarsh blanked the Chiefs in the top of the sixth and lefty Kevin Gilchrist worked the bottom of the inning for the Chiefs, surrendering only a one out single to Russo.

The Chiefs got two men on base in the top of the seventh on a McCarthy single and walk to Landers but could not score when Tidmarsh got Baillargeon to line sharply to Orlowitz in centerfield to end the game.

Dunphy (0-2), worked 3.1 innings and gave up three runs (all earned), allowed seven hits and struck out two.  

Tidmarsh now 3-0, struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Eleven of the Chiefs outs were hit to the outfielders.

The 9-3-1 Chiefs return to ICL action on Tuesday night when they travel to Victory Field in Watertown to meet the Reds at 8:00 PM.