2025 Intercity League Champions – Lexington Blue Sox
Blue Sox Sweep Bulldogs to Take 2025 Championship
INTERCITY LEAGUE NEWS & NOTES
Deciding Game 5 of Bulldogs-Chiefs Semi-Final is Sunday at Pine Banks, 7:30 PM
Game five of the best of five series semi-final between the Reading Bulldogs and Andre Chiefs will be played tonight (Sunday) at Pine Banks Park starting at 7:30 PM. The winner will advance to meet the Lexington Blue Sox in the ICL’s Championship Series which will begin on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs jumped out to two game to none series’ lead, winning the first game 6-2 in eleven innings, then beating the Chiefs 6-4 in game two. The Chiefs forced tonight’s deciding game by taking the next two games 8-5 and 9-2. Kezer Field at Pine Banks Park is located at 101 Main St, Melrose MA 02176. Fans are asked to bring their own chairs as there is limited seats at the facility. Additional parking is available behind the centerfield fence.
Chiefs Tie Up Series 9-2 Behind Dunphy 5-Hitter
Veteran lefty Tim Dunphy spun a complete game five-hitter to keep the Andre Chiefs alive and tie up their semi-final series with the Reading Bulldogs 9-2 on Friday night at Morelli Field. The deciding game of the best of five series will be played on Sunday night at 7:30 PM at Pine Banks Park on the Melrose-Malden line. Johnny Welch led the Chiefs’ 12-hit attack with three hits, including a double, and three RBI. Tony Serino had two hits and scored four runs. Shane Stande knocked in a couple of runs with a single and a double, Matt Nuzzo had a two RBI single, Mike Andre had an RBI double, and Mike Gedman pitched in with a double and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Darren Hartwell had two of the Reading hits and scored both runs. Dunphy struck out five while throwing only 75 pitches in the game. Colby Morris took the loss before giving way to Alex Mandrus in the 5th inning. The winner of Sunday night’s game five at Pine Banks will move on to meet the Lexington Blue Sox in the ICL’s Championship Series that is scheduled to begin on Tuesday night. The Blue Sox swept the Somerville Royals 3-0 in their series that concluded on Wednesday. Fans who plan to attend Sunday’s game are asked to bring their own lounge chairs. Kezer Field at Pine Banks Park is located at 101 Main St, Melrose MA 02176.
Blue Sox Sweep Royals 11-4, Chiefs Beat Bulldogs 8-5 in Game Three
The #2 Blue Sox beat the #5 Somerville Royals 11-4 on Wednesday night in Lexington and in the process competed a three game semi-final sweep. The Blue Sox used a big seven run sixth inning to ice the win and the series. The big hit was a bases clearing double by Thomas Russo, who had four RBI in the game. Drew Leenhouts picked up the series clinching win. The lefty allowed just one run and five hits, while striking out nine, in his six innings of work. With the win, the Blue Sox advance to the ICL’s championship series for the 11th straight season and the for the 14th time in the last 15 years. At Pine Banks, the #1 Andre Chiefs used a seven run first inning to stay alive and beat the Reading Bulldogs 8-5 in game three of their series. Tony Serino led the Chiefs with three hits, Matt Nuzzo added three RBI’s, and Nate Witkowski had a single, double and two RBI’s. Darren Hartwell and Kevin Marciano had three hits each for the Bulldogs and Zac Talis picked up a double and single. Josh Deasi went the distance for the Chiefs and struck out ten, including the side in the seventh. Steve Hueston took the loss. Zac Levine allowed just two runs for Reading in 6.1 innings of relief work. The Bulldogs, who lead the series 2-1, will host the Chiefs in game four on Friday night at Morelli Field in Melrose at 8:00 PM,
Reading & Lexington Take 2-0 Semi-Finals Series Leads
The Reading Bulldogs got a three-run homer from Chris Bosco and a two RBI double from Zac Talis to knock off the Andre Chiefs 6-4 to go up two games to none in their best of five series. Colby Morris spelled starter Jack Burke in the 4th inning and got the win with three innings of hitless relief. Mitchell Clegg, who struck out nine, took the loss. In the conclusion of game one from Monday night, Mike DeDonato doubled in two runs, and Talis hit a two-run homer, when the Bulldogs scored four times in the top of the 11th inning to break a 2-2 tie and go on to a 6-2 win. In Somerville, the Lexington Blue Sox got six shutout innings from Ryan Filipowicz to paste the Royals 9-0 at Trum to also take a 2-0 series lead. Jeff Costello, with two doubles and three RBI’s, led the Lexington 10 hit offense. Jonathan Richard went 5.1 innings and was tagged with the loss. Both the Bulldogs and Blue Sox will be looking to sweep their respective series’ on Wednesday night and move on to meet in the ICL Championship. The Bulldogs will visit the Chiefs at Pine Banks and the Blue Sox will host the Royals at Lexington High. The games will both begin at 8:00 PM.