Malden – For the second consecutive season the Andre Chiefs find themselves atop the Intercity League. The Chiefs edged out Lexington 5-4 in 8 innings Monday night at Pine Banks.

For the Andre Chiefs, this is the first time they have won back-to-back titles.

The first seven innings was a classic Chiefs – Blue Sox battle which saw the two teams end regulation in a 1-1 tie.

The Chiefs broke open the game in the top of the eighth as the Blue Sox defense uncharacteristically made errors at a crucial moment.  The inning began with Andrew Caulfield reaching on an error. Nate Witkowski singled, his second of the game, and the Chiefs had runners on first and second. Joe Bova reached on a fielder’s choice with Witkowski forced at second, and pinch-runner Nolan Lopes who was running for Caulfield, going to third. Number nine hitter Nick Valdario dropped down a bunt which Sox first baseman  Justin Bosland charged in, fielded, and tossed to catcher Max Dushney, but Lopes slide knocked the ball out of Dushney’s glove and everyone was safe and the Chiefs had a 2-1 lead. After the second out, Tyler Ferdinand singled to right for his third hit to drive in two runs and give the Chiefs a 4-1 lead. Ferdinand scored the final run on a Sox error and it was 5-1 Andre.

Lexington was not done. Chiefs starter, Silas Reed, struck out Anderson Jimenez and Julian Alvarez to put the Chiefs within one out of the championship. Jeff Costello drove a ball down the leftfield line into the corner and dove into third with a triple. It was the first extra-base hit of the game. On a 3-1 pitch, Nick Andersen took the ball the opposite way to left field driving it over the fence for. a two-run home run cutting the lead to 5-3. It was the Blue Sox’s first home run of the postseason. Chiefs manager Anthony Perry replaced Reed with game two starter Paul Frisoli. On another 3 and 1 pitch pinch-hitter Dom Gabardi went deep over the centerfield fence and suddenly it was 5-4 Andre. Frisoli ended the fireworks by striking out pinch hitter Andrew Selima and giving the title to the Chiefs.

“It’s amazing,” stated Chiefs manager Anthony Perry when asked about winning consecutive titles. “It starts with a very special group of guys who believe in the process and our mission.” “It actually starts with Chuck (team owner Chuck Andre) he drives the ship.” Said Perry.

“It is humbling to win with this group, especially coach Dave Caiazzo , who accepted the ICL Les Demarco championship trophy for the Chiefs, and who is retiring after this season,’ said Perry.

“I cannot say enough about the Lexington Blue Sox” stated Perry. “They are a great franchise led by Rick DeAngelis.”

The championship is the eighth Intercity League title for the Andre Chiefs. The Hosmer Chiefs have also won eight ICL titles. Hosmer also won five Suburban Twi-League titles.

The Chiefs scored first in the top of the third. Singles by Ferdinand and Teddy Dzuiba put runners on the corner with one out. Hector Pellot’s infield out brought in Ferdinand for the 1-0 lead.

Lexington knotted the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth. The Sox loaded the bases on singles by Alvarez and Costello, his second of three hits, and a fielder’s choice for Josue Feliciano. After the second out, Dushney was walked on four pitches to force in Alvarez and tie the game at 1-1.

Reed (3-0) gave up seven hits in his 7 and 2/3 innings pitched. Reed finished his night with seven strikeouts, three walks, and three runs allowed.

Matt Draper started for Lexington and gave them four strong innings. He scattered five hits, struck out three, and gave up the lone run.

Ryan O’Rourke entered the game for the Blue Sox in the fifth following a single by Juan Parra. First baseman Bosland stopped the Chiefs threat, runners on the corners, as he made a diving stop on a ball headed to right field for the third out. O’Rourke also left runners stranded in the sixth and seventh innings. The lefty struck out four in his 3 and 2/3 innings of work.

Blue Sox manager stated, “It is never easy against the Chiefs.” They come right at you.”

These two teams battled for the eighth time in the ICL finals with the Chiefs coming out on top for the third time. This was the first time these two longstanding ICL franchises met in the finals since 2016.

Another Intercity League season has come to a close. Again, the ICL provided its fans with some of the best amateur baseball in the area. The players and coaches thank the fans for their support this season.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in 2025.

 

By Bruce Hack, Lexington Team Historian

 

 

Melrose – Lexington lives to play another day with a 1-0 game three win over Andre Friday night at Morelli Field.

Game Four is set for Sunday at 8:00 p.m. at Morelli Field in Melrose.

The Blue Sox scored the game’s lone run in the fifth inning. Jake McElroy doubled down the rightfield line with one out. After the second out, Anderson Jimenez singled to right and McElroy raced home to give Lexington a 1-0 lead.

Matt Draper picked up his first playoff win with two-hit, three-shutout innings. He came in relief in the fourth. In that frame, Draper pitched out of a runner on second and third with one out jam by striking out Juan Parra and Miles Reid. He retired nine of the last ten Chiefs batters he faced, six by strikeout.

Dan Metzdorf started for Lexington and threw four shutout innings. Metzdorf gave up one hit, walked two, and struck out six. He faced the minimum through three innings thanks to a first-inning double play. With Parra (HBP) on first and one out, Teddy Dzuiba lofted a to left center that Sox left fielder Ben Leonard tracked down and easily doubled up Parra who had rounded second base. Metzdorf set down the Chiefs in order in the second and third with four strikeouts. Dzuiba got the Chiefs first hit in the fourth ending the no-hit bid at 3 1/3 innings. The Chiefs loaded the bases on two walks sandwiched around Dzuiba’s hit. The Sox lefty got Byron Woodman on a pop-up too short to end the threat.

Tim Dunphy started for the Chiefs and pitched a complete game. The veteran lefty gave up eight hits, one run, walked one, and struck out two in six innings.

McElroy, Jimenez, and Dylan Walsh had two hits for the Blue Sox. McElroy has gone 6-for-8 in his last two playoff games, with five runs, three doubles, and an RBI.  Jimenez now has a four-game hit streak this postseason going 7-for-11 with two doubles; and five RBI.

The Blue Sox win snapped a four-game losing streak to the Chiefs in the playoffs going back to 2023. For Lexington, it was its third 1-0 game these playoffs and second 1-0 win. This is the first time since 2006 that there have been three 1-0 games in the Intercity League playoffs. The Blue Sox are now 4-3 in 1-0 playoff games since 2006. In the postseason the Sox are now 26-25 in 1-run games and 22-10 in shutouts. Against the Chiefs in the postseason Lexington is now 7-5 in 1-run games and 7-6 in shutouts.

The last time the Chiefs were blanked in the playoffs was on August 5, 2022, by Middlesex, 3-0. The last time by Lexington was on August 14, 2019, also 1-0 and Dunphy was the losing pitcher.

 

By Bruce Hack, Lexington Team Historian

Melrose – The Andre Chiefs rode the right arm of Silas Reed to take game one of the Intercity League finals 5-3 over Lexington Tuesday night. Game two is scheduled for tonight at Morelli Field in Melrose, the host site of the finals.

In his second start of the playoffs, Reed pitched his second complete game to improve to 2-0 in the postseason. He was coming off a 1-hit shutout of Melrose in the first game of their semifinal series. Against Lexington, he gave up four hits, and three runs, walked three, struck out nine, and threw four wild pitches. He retired 11 consecutive Blue Sox batters from the last out of the third to the first out of the seventh, including three 1-2-3 innings.

The Chiefs got on board quickly scoring in the top of the first inning. Miles Reid singled, Teddy Dzuiba doubled (first of his three hits) to put runners on second and third with one out. Hector Pellot grounded out to short, and Reid crossed the plate for the 1-0 lead.

Lexington responded in their half of the second inning. A walk, hit batter, and walk loaded the bases with one out. Charlie Walsh delivered the tying run with a line drive single to center. The Blue Sox benefitted from Reed’s wildness as two passed balls allowed Josue Feliciano and Dylan Walsh to score and give the Sox a 3-1 lead.

The Chiefs quickly regained the lead in the top half of the third. A walk to Reid and, a single by Dzuiba placed Chiefs on first and second with one out. Pellot’s double to center scored Reid. Mitchell Schroeder followed with a single to drive in Dzuiba and knot the game at 3-3. Lexington starter Michael O’Brien was replaced by Chris Wanat who induced a ground ball by Bryon Woodman. Sox third baseman Anderson Jimenez charged the ball, fielded it cleanly, and made a nice throw to get Woodman at first, but Pellot scored giving the Chiefs a 4-3 lead.

Reed took over from there. He stranded Blue Sox on first and third in the third. Then he had his run of 11 straight batters set down until the seventh when the Sox got runners to second and third with two outs before he ended the game with a strikeout.

This was the third straight playoff win over Lexington for the Chiefs. They swept Lexington in two games in the semifinals last season. This was the Chiefs’ first win over Lexington in the finals since game five on August 26, 2014. The win was the seventh consecutive playoff win for the Chiefs dating back to last year’s finals.

For the eighth time, the Chiefs and Blue Sox are meeting in the finals. This is the fifth time they are going against each other as the #1 and #2 seeds. Seeding is based on a team’s finish in the regular season. By finishing first Lexington is the number seed for the playoffs. The two teams have split the first four meetings as #1 and #2. Each team won as the #1 seed and as the #2 seed.

Lexington starter O’Brien pitched 2.1 innings in his first playoff appearance. He gave up five hits, and three runs, walked three, and struck out two. Wanat pitched 4.1 innings in relief giving up seven hits, one run, and striking out four.

Anderson Jimenez had two hits for Lexington.

Dzuiba led all batters with three hits. Reid had two hits and two runs for the Chiefs. Schroeder also had two hits and Pellot drove in two for the Chiefs.

 

By Bruce Hack, Lexington Team Historian

Lexington – After the first two games ended in 1-0 scores Lexington and Middlesex finally got their offenses on track and produced 15 runs in the third game. Both teams put up big innings, but Lexington had the biggest on its way to a 10-5 come-from-behind win Friday night at Minuteman Technical High School in Lexington.

The Blue Sox took advantage of 13 walks handed out by Middlesex pitchers and used timely hitting to move within one win of returning to the championship series.

With Lexington up 1-0 after 1 inning, the Expos put up the biggest inning of the series (at least temporarily) scoring four runs in the top of the second. The Expos hit three straight two-out singles, the last by Michael Oliveira knotting the game at 1-1. Two pitches later Josh Bohn took a Lexington starter Chris Wanat pitch over the leftfield fence for a three-run home run and a 4-1 Middlesex lead.

Lexington tied the game in the bottom of the third. Middlesex starter Ryan Cloutier walked the bases loaded on 13 pitches to begin the third. Julian Alvarez laced a pitch down the leftfield line for a bases-clearing double and it was 4-4.

In the fourth, the Blue Sox took the lead without the benefit of a hit. Charlie Walsh walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. Max Dushney bunted and Cloutier’s attempt to get Walsh at third went into foul territory allowing Walsh to come home for the 5-4 lead.

Middlesex responded in the top of the fifth. The Expos received two walks from Blue Sox reliever Jake Zawatsky to start the frame. After a failed bunt attempt resulted in the first out, Ryan Petrone singled through the left side scoring Oliveira to make it 5-5.

Hamlet Peralta, who had relieved Cloutier in the fourth, walked the bases loaded to start the fifth. Josue Feliciano bounced a single past the drawn-in infield to drive in 2 runs for a 7-5 lead. Charlie Walsh doubled to center to drive in two more runs and for a four-run lead. Walsh came around to score the 10^th and final Blue Sox run on two wild pitches by Peralta.

Yemer Pineda entered the game with two on and one out in the fifth. He retired the first batter he faced on a comebacker and then struck out John Batista looking to end the threat. He earned his first postseason win for Lexington.

Peralta took the loss for Middlesex pitching 1.1 innings in relief. He gave up two hits, and five runs, walked five, and struck out two.

Lexington’s 13 walks are a team record for a playoff game since 2006. Despite getting only three hits, the Blue Sox were timely with them, driving in seven runs. Of the 13 walks, eight of them scored.

The teams are back in action Sunday evening with a 6:45 pm start time. The game will again be played on the turf field at Minuteman Tech.

 

By Bruce Hack, Lexington Team Historian

Lexington – The Blue Sox and Expos became the first Intercity League teams since 2006 to play consecutive 1-0 games in the playoffs. The teams accomplished this Wednesday night when Middlesex defeated Lexington 1-0 one night after the Blue Sox opened the semifinal series with a 1-0 win.

There have now been 11 1-0 playoff games with Lexington playing in six with a 3-3 record. Middlesex has participated in the last four games going 2-2.

The other time two 1-0 games were played in a playoff season was in 2010. On August 8 Testa Corp. defeated Wakefield 1-0 and four days later Watertown edged Andre 1-0.

List of 1-0 playoff games

August 7, 2006           at Cassell 1, Wakefield 0

August 16, 2007         at Cassell 1, Watertown 0

August 8, 2010           Testa Corp. 1, at Wakefield 0

August 12, 2010         Watertown 1, at Andre 0

August 23, 2013         Andre 1, at Lexington 0

August 21, 2018         at Lexington 1, Alibrandis 0

August 14, 2019         at Lexington 1, Andre 0

August 10, 2022         Middlesex 1, at Lexington 0 (Morelli)

August 16, 2023         Andre 1, at Expos 0 (MC)

August 6, 2024           at Lexington 1, Middlesex 0 (8) (EBS)

August 7, 2024           at Middlesex 1, Lexington 0 (MRVTHS)

 

By Bruce Hack Lexington Team Historian

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