For the sixth straight season, and for the seventh time in the last eight years, the Lexington Blue Sox and the Andre Chiefs will meet to decide the Intercity League Championship.

Jared Freni punched the Chiefs’ ticket to the dance with a lights out eleven K, six-hitter, when the he blanked the gutsy and game Reading Bulldogs 3-0 in the deciding game of their best of five series at Maplewood Park in Malden on Thursday night.

Peter Copa was the offensive standout of the night with a first inning RBI single and a third inning solo homer. Steve Gambale drove in the final Chiefs run with a two out single in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Bulldogs’ starter Jack Burke allowed only four hits, and struck out four, in four innings, before giving way to veteran Steve Hueston in the fifth inning.

The best of five Championship Series will get underway on Sunday at Morelli Field at 8:00 PM. All games will be played at the Melrose venue, with Games Two and Three planned for Monday and Tuesday, and if necessary, Games Four on Wednesday, and Game Five to be determined.

All games in the series will begin at 8:00 PM.

Blue Sox 3, Reds 2
Matt Karis pitched five strong innings to record the win when the Lexington Blue Sox edged the Watertown Reds 3-2 at Victory Field on Tuesday night. With the win, Lexington takes a 2-1 lead in the series.

Dan Graham and Jeff Vigurs both had RBI singles and Dave Ahern scored the game winning run on a wild pitch.

Borja  Jones-Berasaluce worked a scoreless sixth and Jeff Blount blanked the Reds in the seventh to get the save.

Dan Chaisson, with a solo homer, and Kyle LaVigne, drove in the Reds’ runs.

Jonathan Bishop went all seven innings for Watertown and struck out five.

Bulldogs 5, Chiefs 2
The Reading Bulldogs used some sparkling defense, and got six solid innings from Wayne Lundgren, to beat the Andre Chiefs in Game Three, 5-2. The Chiefs lead the series 2-1.

Steve Busby had a 3 for 3 evening, and along with Darren Hartwell, turned in several outstanding plays in the outfield. Kyle Devin, Chris Bosco, Johnny Hayes, Mike Taylor, and Busby, all drove in a run for Reading.

Juan Portes provided all the scoring for the Chiefs with a two run homer in the bottom of third inning.

Sam Kasten went the distance for the Chiefs and struck out nine batters.

It’s on to Game Four for both series on Wednesday night.

The Chiefs and Bulldogs meet at Morelli Field in Melrose and the Reds and Blue Sox get together at Lexington High with both games starting at 8;00 PM.

 

 

 

Karis

Dan Cha

 

UPDATED 11:53 AM– PLEASE NOTE THAT DESPITE A REPORTING ERROR IN TODAY’S BOSTON HERALD, TONIGHT’S GAME TWO BETWEEN THE READING BULLDOGS & ANDRE CHIEFS WILL BE PLAYED AT MORELLI FIELD IN MELROSE STARTING AT 8:00 PM. GAME TWO OF THE LEXINGTON BLUE SOX & WATERTOWN REDS WILL BE PLAYED TONIGHT AT LEXINGTON HIGH AT 8:00 PM.
The Andre Chiefs and Watertown Reds both took opening game wins in their respective best of five semi-final series on Sunday night.

The Chiefs got a 10 strikeout performance from Jared Freni, in his return to the rotation, to lead them to a 3-1 win over the Reading Bulldogs at Maplewood. Freni went five innings plus to get the victory and Tim Dunphy (6th inning) and Anthony Sullivan (7th inning, save), supplied the relief as Chiefs’ pitching struck out a dozen.

Juan Portes, with a first inning double, and Mike Andre, who had a fourth inning single, had the RBI’s for the Chiefs.

Jack Burke worked the first five innings for the Bulldogs before giving way to Colby Morris.

E.J. Martinez drove in the Reading run with an RBI single in the sixth inning.

In Watertown, Bill Sullivan went the distance and allowed just four hits when the Reds beat the Lexington Blue Sox at Victory Field, 4-1.

Mike Samko, who had two hits in the game, drove in the game winner with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth. In an oddity, three of the five runs scored in the game did so on wild pitches.

Sullivan, struck out six and didn’t issue a walk. He threw 110 pitches in his route going outing.

Ryan Filipowoicz, (4.0 innings, 2 earned runs, 4 hits, 5 K’s) and Jeff Blount (2.0 innings, 2 runs, 0 earned, 3 hits, 4 K’s ) worked for the Blue Sox.

Dave Ahern (double, single) had two of Lexington’s hits.

ICL semi-final action continues on Monday with the second game of both series on tap. The Chiefs and Bulldogs meet at Morelli Field in Melrose and the Reds and Blue Sox tangle at Lexington High.

Both games will start at 8:00 PM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Julian Alavarez doubled home Thomas Russo with what proved to be the winning run when the Lexington Blue Sox beat the Somerville Royals 4-3 in Lexington on Thursday night. With the win, the #3 Blue Sox take the series 2-1. The defending champs will now move on to meet the #2 Watertown Reds in a best of five semi-final series that begins on Sunday night at Victory Field at 7:30 PM.

Wagner Gomez put the Royals in front 2-0 with a two run homer in the top of the first inning.

The Blue Sox tied things up in the bottom of the second when Dan Graham hit a two run homer of his own.

The Blue Sox pulled in front at 3-2 on Taylor Ferguson’s sacrifice fly before Alvarez supplied the eventual game winner in the bottom of the third inning.

The Royals cut the lead to 4-3 in the top of the fourth, and had the tying run thrown out at the plate, on singles from Gomez, Adam Johnson, Luke Ronchi, and Paul Pollano.

Drew Brzozowski went four innings to get the win. Rob DiFranco retired eight of the nine batters he faced to get the three inning save.

Steve Sinatra allowed only five hits in six innings, but took the loss.

Drew Leenhouts fired a no-hitter when the Lexington Blue Sox shutout the Somerville Royals 4-0 in Game Two of their best of three first round series on Tuesday night at Trum Field. With the win, the Blue Sox evened the series at 1-1. The deciding Game Three will be played at Lexington High on Wednesday night at 8:00 PM.

Leenhouts was in command from start to finish, allowing only two baserunners in the game. He hit Luke Ronchi with a 1-2 pitch in the third and Jake Cintolo reached on an outfield error in the seventh. Leenhouts faced just 23 batters, struck out 11, and threw just 98 pitches in completing the gem.

The Blue Sox took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on singles from Thomas Russo, Ross Curley, and Julian Alvarez.

Lexington jumped their lead to 3-0 in the top of the fifth on RBI singles from Alvarez and Dan Graham. Dave Ahern provided the final run of the night when he led off the top of the sixth with a solo homer.

Jonathan Richard went the distance for Somerville. He gave up nine hits, four earned runs, struck out two, and walked three.

In addition to the rubber game of the Royals-Blue Sox series in Lexington, Game Two of the Melrose-Reading series will be played on Wednesday night at Morelli Field at 8:00 PM. Reading leads that series 1-0.