Reading & Somerville Take Opening First Round Games

The Reading Bulldogs and the Somerville Royals both took a 1-0 lead in their respective best of three series on Thursday night.

The Bulldogs got a strong effort from Jack Burke to beat the Watertown Reds 6-2 at Victory Field. Burke allowed just four hits and struck out seven in six innings as the Bulldogs jumped out to 6-0 fourth inning lead. Kevin Marciano drove in two of the Reading runs and Zac Talis, Darren Hartwell, and Rosario Missiti also had RBI’s. Dan Chassion and Logan Gillis drove in the Watertown runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Royals scored three runs in the top of the 11th inning to beat the Wakefield Merchants 5-2 in a marathon at Lexington High. Brian Campbell, John Collette, and Sean Harrington each had a couple of hits for the Royals. Soren Hanson got the win with three innings of work in relief of Chuck Gibson. Joseph Maguire went the first nine innings for Wakefield and allowed just two runs. Paul McGunigle and Ryan Collins drove in the Merchants’ runs.

Both series continue on Friday night. The Bulldogs and Reds meet at Lexington High and the Merchants and Royals will tangle at Morelli Field in Melrose. Both games will start at 8:00 PM.

Andre Chiefs, Intercity League

Chiefs Win Twice in Lexington to Take Regular Season Pennant

The Andre Chiefs won the conclusion of a suspended game 4-2, then took the nightcap 5-2 on Wednesday night in Lexington to edge out the Blue Sox and win the 2017 Regular Season pennant. The Chiefs now earn the #1 seed and the Blue Sox will be the #2 seed in the upcoming ICL Playoffs.

Mitchell Clegg had a hand in both games. The lefty worked a scoreless inning to get the save for Anthony Sullivan (1-0) in the opener.

Clegg then threw a complete game three-hitter to get his 4th win of the year in game two. Johnny Welch hit a first inning grand slam, his 6th homer of the year, to give the Chiefs a 4-0 lead.
Dan Graham and Thomas Russo drove in the Lexington runs in the second game. Drew Leenhouts (3-1) took the loss despite only allowing five hits in his six innings of work.

The Chiefs finish the regular season at 22-6 (44 points) while the Blue Sox ended up at 20-7-1 (41 points).

Royals Get #5 Seed, Chiefs & Blue Sox Win, Meet Tonight to Determine Top Seed

The Somerville Royals clinched the fifth seed in the upcoming ICL Playoffs with darkness shortened 6-4 win over the Arlington Trojans at Summer Street Field. Toby Stern (2-0) allowed just three hits. Wagner Gomez went 3-3 with three RBI’s and Sean Harrington added two hits for the Royals.

In Melrose, Jared Freni (7-2) scattered two hits and struck out ten in 6.2 innings when the Chiefs beat the Americans 8-0 at Morelli Field. Peter Copa hit a grand slam and Johnny Welch had a solo homer for the Chiefs who scored seven times in the top of seventh to break open a 1-0 game. Zeke Berg (0-3) pitched a strong six innings for the Americans.

The Lexington Blue Sox won their 11th straight game with a 4-1 victory over the Wakefield Merchants. Kevin Scanlon (1-0) went four innings to get the win as the Blue Sox got homers from Ross Curley and Dan Graham. Andrew Auld (1-2) look the loss.

The regular season will conclude tonight when the Chiefs and Blue Sox meet in Lexington starting at 7:30 PM. The teams will first finish a suspended game with the Chiefs leading 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning. Following that game, the regularly scheduled game will be played. The results of these two games will determine who will get the top playoff seed.

Bulldogs Secure Playoff Spot, Chiefs & Blue Sox Clinch First-Round Byes

The Reading Bulldogs clinched a playoff spot with two wins at Endicott College on Monday night. The Bulldogs beat the Arlington Trojans 7-3 to complete a suspended game, and then got a homer from Mike Taylor and went on to win the second game 10-2.

At Pine Banks, Josh Desai went to 6-0, and threw his third straight shutout, when he out-dueled Chris Mitchell (4-4) as the Chiefs beat the Americans 1-0 to clinch a first-round playoff bye. Matt Nuzzo supplied the game’s only run with a solo homer in the first inning.

In Lexington, the Blue Sox used a two-run sixth inning homer from Dan Graham to tie the game, then got a walk-off seventh inning single from Julian Alvarez, to come from behind to edge the Watertown Reds 3-2. Chris Law (2-1) got the win in relief as the Blue Sox also clinched a first-round bye. Justin Forman’s solo homer and Dan Chaisson’s single gave the Reds a 2-0 third inning lead. Bill Sullivan (3-1) struck out 10 despite taking the loss.

There are three games on tonight’s ICL schedule. The Somerville Royals visit the Trojans at Summer Street Field at 6:15 PM, the Chiefs visit the Americans at Morelli Field in Melrose at 7:30 PM, and the Wakefield Merchants and Blue Sox tangle in Lexington at 8:00 PM.

Prior to the Chiefs-Americans game at Morelli Field, former Chiefs’ Bench Coach Steve Calabresi’s number will be retired. “Coach Cal” passed away suddenly in April after spending nearly thirty years with the Chiefs’ organization.

Joe Walsh Memorial Golf Classic

The Joe Walsh Memorial Golf Classic will be held Monday August 14th at LeBaron HIlls Country Club in Lakeville MA

Joe Walsh was an outstanding baseball coach and an even better person. He touched so many lives through his association with Suffolk University, Harvard University, the Cape Cod Baseball League and amateur baseball throughout New England. To honor Joe’s life, a group of former players have created a scholarship in Joe’s name at his alma mater Catholic Memorial High School. This scholarship will be given annually to a deserving student. To fund the scholarship we are holding the third annual golf tournament on August 14th, 2017 at LeBaron Hills Country Club in Lakeville, MA. We would love to see as many of Joe’s former baseball players as well as his girls basketball players and track / cross country athletes join us for a great day of golf for a great man and great cause. Keeping Joe’s legacy alive through this annual scholarship! We hope to see you at the tournament, but if you cannot make it, please consider some of the other options available to contribute to the cause. For more information please visit www.joewalshgolf.com

 

 

 

 

Royals Win Two on Sunday

The Somerville Royals won both ends of a three team doubleheader that was played at Walsh Field in Wakefield on Sunday. The Royals shutout the Wakefield Merchants 8-0 in the opener and then took the nightcap 9-4 over the Reading Bulldogs.

In the first game, the Royals got two hits each from Sean Cameron, Adam Johnson, and Luke Ronchi, to back the six-hit pitching of Soren Hanson (4-0), and lead them to the 8-0 win over the Merchants. Scott Searles and Dillon Koster had two hits each for Wakefield.

In game two, Jonathan Richard went the distance to even his record at 4-4. Brian Campbell and Sean Harrington led the Royals’ offense with three hits each. Zac Talis had two of Reading’s six hits.

Lexington Blue Sox

Blue Sox Shutout Americans 9-0 in Friday’s Only ICL Game

Drew Brzozowski (2-0) tossed six shutout innings of two-hit baseball to the lead the Blue Sox to a 9-0 win over the Melrose Americans in Lexington. Jeff Costello, Dorian Rojas, and Jake Willsey each had three hits and Taylor Ferguson had two hits and three RBI for the Blue Sox. For Lexington, it was their ninth straight win.

It was the only ICL game played on Friday.

Blue Sox Win 8th Straight, Chiefs Beat Bulldogs, Reds Edge Americans

Matt Karis (2-0) got the win, and Dan Graham hit his first homer of the year, when the Blue Sox beat the Wakefield Merchants 6-3 in Lexington. It was Lexington’s eighth win in a row.

At Endicott, Mitchell Clegg (3-1) tossed a four-hitter to pitch the Chiefs past the Bulldogs 7-1. Mike Andre had two RBI’s and Shane Stande had two hits, an RBI, and scored three runs for the Chiefs. Mike Taylor had a triple and a double for Reading.

In Watertown, the Reds scored three times in the bottom of the fifth, and the Melrose Americans responded with six runs to take a 6-3 lead in the sixth, only to see the Reds come back and tally four more times in the home half of the inning to take a wild  7-6 win at Victory Field. Mike Samko had three hits and three RBI’s and Dan Chaisson added a triple for the Reds. Charlie Huegi had two hits, including a double, and a couple of RBI’s for the Americans. C.J. Barrett (1-0) recorded the win and Sean Mahan chalked up his second save of the season.

The Americans visit the Blue Sox at Lexington High at 8:00 PM in the only ICL game scheduled on Friday.

Coach Steve Calabresi to now be Remembered on Tuesday, August 8th at Morelli

COACH STEVE CALABRESI WILL NOW BE REMEMBERED ON TUESDAY, AUG. 8
Longtime Chiefs’ Coach Steve Calabresi, who passed away suddenly in April, will now be remembered on Tuesday evening, August 8 in an on-field ceremony at Morelli Field in Melrose. The event was originally scheduled for this past Wednesday but was rained out.

“Coach Cal” will have his number 38 retired prior to the Chiefs-Americans make-up game which will be played at 7:30 PM.

Steve had served the Chiefs as their Bench Coach since 1989. He also was an Assistant Coach at Arlington Catholic and served for over a decade on the M.I.T. baseball staff under Head Coach Fran O’Brien.

Many of Steve’s family and friends are expected to attend the ceremony which is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM.

Merchants Outlast Americans 15-11, Chiefs & Blue Sox Gain Monday Wins

In a game that featured 26 runs and 33 hits, the Wakefield Merchants survived an eight run seventh inning to beat the Melrose Americans 15-11 at Morelli Field. Dillon Koster (homer, two doubles, and four RBI’s) and Mike Sorrentino, each had four hits each for the Merchants. Bobby Losanno and Joe Barry added three hits apiece to lead Wakefield’s 19 hit offense. Malcolm Nachmanoff hit two solo homers for the Americans.

At Endicott College, Jared Freni (6-2) spun a 10 strikeout four-hitter, and the Chiefs got a solo homer and double from Johnny Welch, to beat the Reading Bulldogs 6-1. Tony Serino (2), Mike Andre, Nate Witkowski, and Matt Nuzzo had the other Chiefs’ RBI’s. Kevin Marciano had two of the Bulldogs’ four hits.

The Blue Sox scored eight times in the bottom of the fifth inning, erasing a 5-1 Somerville Royals lead, on the way to a 9-5 win in Lexington. Justin Silvestro and Jeff Vigurs delivered the big hits for the Blue Sox in the inning. Wagner Gomez’s three run homer built Somerville’s early lead. Chris Law (1-1) worked two innings of relief to record the win.

On Tuesday, the Arlington Trojans host the Merchants at Summer Street Field at 6:15 PM, the Bulldogs and Chiefs meet again at Pine Banks at 8:00 PM, and Royals and Blue Sox play a rematch in Lexington at 8:00 PM.