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.