Andre Chiefs

Medford, MA- Jack Laurendeau and Dan Graham hit back to back first inning doubles, resulting in the only run of the game, as the Lexington Blue Sox nipped the Chiefs at run starved Tufts University on Monday. 

With the win the Blue Sox clinched the 2009 regular season pennant. 

The game featured an outstanding pitching match up between Lexington’s Steve Bodnar (5-0) and the Chiefs Dylan Ellis (3-1). Both pitchers allowed just four hits. Ellis struck out six while Bodnar struck out three. 

Ellis struck out Ross Curley to open the top of the first inning. Laurendeau then hit an opposite field double down the left field line. Graham followed with a long blast off the base of the fence in right scoring Laurendeau. Ellis walked Matt McEvoy but escaped further trouble when Sean McElroy flew out and Ben Hewett bounced out. 

That was all the Sox were to get off Ellis on this night as he surrendered just a second inning triple to Eric Poling and a seventh inning infield hit to Anthony Coscia. The southpaw retired 16 batters in a row before Coscia’s infield hit, which came with two outs in seventh. 

The problem for the Chiefs was that they could not break through against the always tough Bodnar.

In the bottom of the first, Brendan Pyburn hit a bloop single down the left field line but was erased on Jeff Bercume’s fielder’s choice. Bercume was then thrown trying to steal second by Poling. 

Peter Copa led off the Chiefs’ second with a seeing eye single that fell between the mound and first base. But Bodnar retired the next three batters in a row when Mike Andre lined to center, Justin Crisafulli struck out swinging and Dario Pizzano flew to right. 

The Chiefs’ had their best scoring opportunity in third inning when Brian Macrina and Bob McCarthy both singled putting runners on first and second with nobody out. Hal Landers followed, and after two unsuccessful sacrifice bunt attempts, Bodnar struck him out swinging. Pyburn then hit into a fielder’s choice forcing McCarthy out at second and leaving runners on the corners with two away. Bodnar got out of it when Jeff Bercume flew to left ending the inning. 

The Chiefs threatened to tie it up in the seventh but came up empty. Andre drew a leadoff walk and Mike Barbati pinch ran for him. Crisafulli then hit a ball back at Bodnar which he knocked down and recovered in time to get Crisafulli by a step at first with Barbati taking second on the play. Pizzano followed and flew to shallow center for the inning’s second out. With Macrina at the plate, Bodnar uncorked a wild pitch that sent Barbati to third. That was as far as Barbati got when Bodnar got Macrina to fly to center to end the game. 

The Chiefs have a rare day off on Tuesday and resume ICL play on Wednesday at 6:00 PM when they travel to Playstead Park to face the Americans. The Blue Sox are back in action tonight when they host the Wakefield Merchants in an 8:00 PM start in Lexington.