2025 Intercity League Champions – Lexington Blue Sox
Blue Sox Sweep Bulldogs to Take 2025 Championship
INTERCITY LEAGUE NEWS & NOTES
Bulldogs & Reds Take First Round Series Leads
The Reading Bulldogs got a complete game five-hitter from Jack Burke and shutout Alibrnadis 6-0 to take a 1-0 series lead on Thursday night at Morelli Field. Jeff Roy had three hits, including two doubles, and Zac Talis drove in two runs to lead the Reading offense. Tyler Cedeno, Joey Hodapp and Johnny Hayes drove in the other Reading runs. Burke struck out six and didn’t issue a walk. Brian Tanguy look the loss for Alibrandis. In Watertown, the Reds scored three times in each of the third and fourth innings, erasing a 1-0 Andre Chiefs lead, and went on to a 6-3 series opening win at Victory Field. Worth Walrod went 6.1 innings to get the win with help from Dan Haverty in the seventh inning. Ben Johnston had two hits and two RBI’s, Kyle LaVigne a triple among his two hits and two RBI, and Will Brennan a two RBI triple, to lead the Reds’ at the plate. Johhny Welch had three hits and two RBI for the Chiefs. Mitchell Clegg went four innings and suffered the loss, despite striking out six. Game two of the Reading-Alibrandis series will be played on Friday night at Morelli Field at 8:00 PM. The second game of the Chiefs-Reds series will be on Sunday at 8:00 PM at Maplewood/Malden Catholic.
Chiefs Beat Americans in Play-In Game 12-3, First Round Begins on Thursday
The Andre Chiefs spotted the Melrose Americans a 3-0 first inning lead, then scored 12 unanswered runs, on the way to a 12-3 play-in game win at soggy Maplewood Park on Wednesday night. With the win the Chiefs advance to the first round of the ICL’s playoffs against the Watertown Reds. Game one of that best of three series will be played on Thursday night at Victory Field at 7:30 PM. The Reading Bulldogs-Albrandis series will also begin on Thursday night. The first game will be played at Morelli Field in Melrose at 8:00 PM. The Americans-Chiefs game was twice delayed by rain and lightning. The game started on time at 8:00 PM, was halted twice in the top of the first inning, and finally resumed at 9:50 PM. The Chiefs got a three-run first inning homer and seven RBI’s from Ben Waldrip, who went 4-4, to lead the win. Tim Dunphy took over for Jared Freni after the the second rain delay and proceeded to throw 6.1 innings of shutout ball. Tony Serino and Matt Nuzzo had two hits each for the Chiefs while Johnny Welch (single, sac fly) and Leivi Ventura (double) each had two RBI’s. The Americans took a 3-0 lead in the extended first inning on singles from Malcolm Nachmanoff, John Jennings, Dave Center and Charlie Huegi. 2018 INTERCITY LEAGUE PLAYOFF SEEDS 1-Lexington Blue Sox 2-Wakefield Merchants 3-Watertown Reds 4-Alibrandis 5-Reading Bulldogs 6-Andre Chiefs
UPDATED 10:20 AM: Americans-Chiefs Play-In Tonight at Maplewood 8:00 PM, Other Seeds Set
2018 ICL PLAYOFF SEEDS: 1. Lexington Blue Sox 2. Wakefield Merchants 3. Watertown Reds 4. Alibrandis 5. Reading Bulldogs 6. Melrose Americans/Andre Chiefs (Winner of Wednesday’s Play-In Game) The Lexington Blue Sox, Wakefield Merchants, Watertown Reds, Alibrandis and the Reading Bulldogs have all secured playoff berths with Lexington and Wakefield earning first round byes. The Melrose Americans and Andre Chiefs, who both finished the regular season at 13-15 and split their season series 2-2, will meet in a one game play-in tonight (Wednesday) at 8:00 PM at Maplewood Park on the campus of Malden Catholic. The Chiefs won a coin toss on Monday that determined the home team. The winner of the Americans-Chiefs game will become the #6 seed and move on to play the #3 seeded Watertown Reds at Victory Field in game one of a best of three series on Thursday night at 7:30 PM. Game two of that series will be played on Sunday at a time and location TBA. The Alibrandis-Reading series will also begin on Thursday night at Morelli Field at 8:00 PM, with Alibrandis being the home team. Alibrandis took the #4 seed by virtue of their 10-1 win over Reading on Monday night. Game two of this series will be played on Friday at 8:00 PM at Morelli Field. The ICL’s best of five semi-final series are expected to begin early next week with Lexington and Wakefield hosting the opening games. In the final regular season game that was played on Tuesday night, the Malden Maddogs held off a late rally and edged the Reading Bulldogs 10-9.
Reds Edge Chiefs, Alibrandis-Bulldogs Tie, Royals Sweep Maddogs
The Watertown Reds scored an unearned run in bottom of the sixth inning and went on to edge the Andre Chiefs 4-3 at Victory Field. Nate Esplin (1-0) got the win in relief and Tim Dunphy (2-2) took the loss after Chiefs’ starter Evan Walsh worked into the fifth, striking out seven. Justin Forman had two hits and scored the winning run for the Reds. The Reading Bulldogs and Alibrandis fought to a nine inning 4-4 tie at Morton Field. Reading got a homer and two RBI’s from Zac Tallis and a double and a couple of RBI’s from Joey Hodapp. Chuck Erickson hit his first homer of the year for Alibrandis. The Somerville Royals took both ends of a doubleheader, 5-2 and 10-9, from the Malden Maddogs at Trum Field. Rob Caggiano had three hits and three RBI’s in the opener as Soren Hanson (2-2) struck out nine to pick up the win. Nick Valdario led the way in the nightcap with a homer, three hits, and three RBI’s.