Andre Chiefs

Medford, MA- Mike DiCato took a no-hitter and shutout into the seventh inning as the Chiefs held on to beat the Testa Corp. Bombers in "suddenly" dramatic fashion 3-2 at Tufts University on Sunday afternoon. 

DiCato, the former Malden Catholic All-American and UMass-Amherst standout, raised his personal season mark to 5-2. 

After DiCato set the Bombers down in order in the top of the first inning, including strikeouts of Vin Eruzione & Josh Klimkiewicz, the Chiefs struck for a run in bottom of the frame. Bombers starter Bobby Giarrantani (Bishop Fenwick/Denison College) got Hal Landers to fly to center for the first out. Giarrantani walked his former high school teammate Brendan Pyburn and the Chiefs shortstop promptly stole second. Jeff Bercume flew to center for the second out before Peter Copa, who was newly inserted into the clean-up slot, made that move pay immediate dividends when he roped a single to left scoring Pyburn. 

The Bombers went 1-2-3 again in the second and Giarrantani got Justin Crisafulli to pop up,  Mike Andre to fly deep to right and Bob McCarthy swinging on strikes in the Chiefs half of the inning. 

DiCato came out throwing smoke in the top of the third as he struck out the side in order (Boston College quarterback Alex Atiyeh, Colin Quirk & Joe Papa).

Giarrantani returned the favor in the home half of the frame getting Landers and Bercume to groundout and Pyburn on a fly ball. 

It was twelve up and twelve down for DiCato in the fourth, retiring Jay DeFilippo on a groundout, Eruzione looking and Klimkiewicz on a bouncer to Pyburn. 

Giarrantani looked as if he was getting stronger as he had a rocking chair bottom of the fourth.The right-hander got Copa on a groundout, Pizzano to line to first and Crisafulli on a warning track fly ball to centerfield. 

Nick Martinho’s walk to start the fifth broke up DiCato’s perfect game. DiCato then picked his former Malden Catholic teammate off first base, before getting Mike Adessa to fly out and catcher Steve Wadsworth to line to Pyburn, to keep the Bombers at the minimum fifteen batters through five innings. 

The Chiefs came up with a big run to take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth. Andre led off and roped his fifth double off the season into the right field corner. After two unsuccessful sacrifice bunt attempts, Giarrantani struck out J.P. Pollard swinging for the first out. Things worked out for the Chiefs when Andre scampered to third on a wild pitch. That proved to be big when Bob McCarthy hit the next pitch to centerfield for a sacrifice fly that allowed Andre to tag up and score the second run of the game.

Nothing doing against DiCato for Testa in the top of the sixth as he set down Atiyeh (groundout), Quirk (fly to right) and Papa (lineout to center) to keep the Bombers at the minimum eighteen batters sthrough six innings. 

Rookie Dario Pizzano delivered what proved to be the game winning run, when he singled home Copa, who had walked and stole second, with two outs in the sixth to make it 3-0 heading into the seventh.

DiCato walked DeFilippo leading off the seventh. Eruzione then hit a chopper to Pyburn at shortstop who flipped to Copa for the force at second with the relay to first being a half step late. It looked as if DiCato was going to get his no-hitter when Klimkiewicz hit a hard grounder headed for Copa in doubleplay depth at second. DiCato got a piece of the ball as it went by the mound and it deflected just to left of Copa for an infield single. Trouble was begining to brew when Martinho drew the second walk of the inning to load the bases. Adessa did his best to spoil DiCato’s gem, as well as the afternoon for Chiefs fans, when he unloaded a shot to the right-centerfield gap that scored Eruzione and Klimkiewicz and sent Martinho barreling around third with the potential tying run. A perfect relay from Landers to Copa to McCarthy cut down Martinho at the plate on a very close play as the Chiefs clung to the 3-2 lead. With Adessa at second, DiCato finished his day’s work by getting Wadsworth to ground to Pollard at first preserving the win. 

“I was in perfect position on Klimkiewicz’s grounder in the seventh”, said Copa after the game. “It was hit hard enough that we would have had a great chance to turn the doubleplay and get Mike his no-hitter. It is a natural reaction for any pitcher, especially one like him who has played so much infield, to try and get his glove on the ball. Once Mike deflected it I had no chance,” Copa added. 

DiCato finished with a two-hitter, striking out six, while lowering his ERA to 2.16. It was his fifth complete game of the season. Giarrantani was almost as good allowing just three hits, (Copa & Pizzano RBI singles & Andre’s double) while fanning one and walking a couple. 

The Chiefs are right back at it on Monday when they host the first place Lexington Blue Sox at Tufts at 6:00 PM. Southpaw Dylan Ellis (3-0) will draw the starting pitching assignment.