2024 Intercity League Champions – Andre Chiefs
Blue Sox Unbeaten Streak Extends to 13 Games
INTERCITY LEAGUE NEWS & NOTES
Lexington takes a 2-1 series lead with a 10-5 win
Lexington – After the first two games ended in 1-0 scores Lexington and Middlesex finally got their offenses on track and produced 15 runs in the third game. Both teams put up big innings, but Lexington had the biggest on its way to a 10-5 come-from-behind win Friday night at Minuteman Technical High School in Lexington. The Blue Sox took advantage of 13 walks handed out by Middlesex pitchers and used timely hitting to move within one win of returning to the championship series. With Lexington up 1-0 after 1 inning, the Expos put up the biggest inning of the series (at least temporarily) scoring four runs in the top of the second. The Expos hit three straight two-out singles, the last by Michael Oliveira knotting the game at 1-1. Two pitches later Josh Bohn took a Lexington starter Chris Wanat pitch over the leftfield fence for a three-run home run and a 4-1 Middlesex lead. Lexington tied the game in the bottom of the third. Middlesex starter Ryan Cloutier walked the bases loaded on 13 pitches to begin the third. Julian Alvarez laced a pitch down the leftfield line for a bases-clearing double and it was 4-4. In the fourth, the Blue Sox took the lead without the benefit of a hit. Charlie Walsh walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. Max Dushney bunted and Cloutier’s attempt to get Walsh at third went into foul territory allowing Walsh to come home for the 5-4 lead. Middlesex responded in the top of the fifth. The Expos received two walks from Blue Sox reliever Jake Zawatsky to start the frame. After a failed bunt attempt resulted in the first out, Ryan Petrone singled through the left side scoring Oliveira to make it 5-5. Hamlet Peralta, who had relieved Cloutier in the fourth, walked the bases loaded to start the fifth. Josue Feliciano bounced a single past the drawn-in infield to drive in 2 runs for a 7-5 lead. Charlie Walsh doubled to center to drive in two more runs and for a four-run lead. Walsh came around to score the 10th and final Blue Sox run on two wild pitches by Peralta. Yemer Pineda entered the game with two on and one out in the fifth. He retired the first batter he faced on a comebacker and then struck out John Batista looking to end the threat. He earned his first postseason win for Lexington. Peralta took the loss for Middlesex pitching 1.1 innings in relief. He gave up two hits, and five runs, walked five, and struck out two. Lexington’s 13 walks are a team record for a playoff game since 2006. Despite getting only three hits, the Blue Sox were timely with them, driving in seven runs. Of the 13 walks, eight of them scored. The teams are back in action Sunday evening with a 6:45 pm start time. The game will again be played on the turf field at Minuteman Tech. By Bruce Hack, Lexington Team Historian
Chiefs Sweep Americans
(Malden, MA)- The Andre Chiefs got three RBI’s each from Byron Woodman, Teddy Dziuba, and Anthony Perry, on the way to beating the Melrose Americans 13-7 at Maplewood on Thursday night. The win gives the Chiefs a 3-0 semi-final series sweep and a ticket to the ICL’s Championship Series where they will have the opportunity to defend their 2023 title. They will await the winner of the Middlesex Expos-Lexington Blue Sox series which remained tied at 1-1 after last night’s rainout. The Chiefs never looked back after Woodman gave them a quick 3-0 lead when he drilled a three run homer in the bottom of the first inning scoring Teddy Dziuba and Mitchell Schroeder, who had both singled, ahead of him. Aidan Barry’s RBI single, off Chiefs’ starter Evan Walsh, cut the lead to 3-1 in the top of the second. The Chiefs put up three more runs and took a 6-1 lead in the bottom of the second on an RBI single from Tyler Ferdinand and a two RBI double from Dziuba. Chris Klein’s RBI groundout made it a 6-2 game in the top of third. It became an 12-2 affair when the Chiefs tallied six more times in the bottom of the third inning on singles from Woodman, Nate Witkowski, Perry (2 RBI), a Dziuba sacrifice fly, and a Schroeder double. The Americans closed the gap to 12-7 when they put up a couple of runs in the top of the fifth and then added three more in the sixth. The Chiefs scored the game’s final run in the bottom of the sixth to account for the 13-7 final. Klein (2 hits) led the Melrose 14 hit offense with three RBI’s and Nestor, Ian Libby, and Ted Giardina had two hits each. Evan Walsh went five innings to record the win. The lefty gave up nine hits and struck out three. A.J. Rourke (1 inning, 5 hits, 3 runs, 1K) and Cameron Breault, who threw a hitless seventh, also worked for the Chiefs. Brandon McMahon went two innings and took the loss. Bailey Taylor Black, David Hunter, and Ronnie Luke also pitched for the Americans. The Chiefs will enter the ICL finals with an overall record of 22-6 . The Americans finish the 2024 campaign with an overall record of 16-10-1 which included an eight game winning streak to conclude the regular season. Games three and four of the Expos-Blue Sox series are now scheduled for Minuteman Vocational in Lexington on Friday at 7:00 PM and Sunday at 6:45 PM. If a game five is required it will be played on Monday at a time and location to be determined.
Lexington and Middlesex Make History
Lexington – The Blue Sox and Expos became the first Intercity League teams since 2006 to play consecutive 1-0 games in the playoffs. The teams accomplished this Wednesday night when Middlesex defeated Lexington 1-0 one night after the Blue Sox opened the semifinal series with a 1-0 win. There have now been 11 1-0 playoff games with Lexington playing in six with a 3-3 record. Middlesex has participated in the last four games going 2-2. The other time two 1-0 games were played in a playoff season was in 2010. On August 8 Testa Corp. defeated Wakefield 1-0 and four days later Watertown edged Andre 1-0. List of 1-0 playoff games August 7, 2006 at Cassell 1, Wakefield 0 August 16, 2007 at Cassell 1, Watertown 0 August 8, 2010 Testa Corp. 1, at Wakefield 0 August 12, 2010 Watertown 1, at Andre 0 August 23, 2013 Andre 1, at Lexington 0 August 21, 2018 at Lexington 1, Alibrandis 0 August 14, 2019 at Lexington 1, Andre 0 August 10, 2022 Middlesex 1, at Lexington 0 (Morelli) August 16, 2023 Andre 1, at Expos 0 (MC) August 6, 2024 at Lexington 1, Middlesex 0 (8) (EBS) August 7, 2024 at Middlesex 1, Lexington 0 (MRVTHS) By Bruce Hack Lexington Team Historian Sportstats
Frisoli Pitches Chiefs to 2-0 Series Lead
(Malden, MA)- Veteran righty Paul Frisoli tossed a complete game six-hitter to lead the Andre Chiefs to a 7-2 win over the Melrose Americans on Wednesday night at Maplewood. The win gives the Chiefs a 2-0 series lead. Game three of the best of five semi-final set will be played tonight (Thursday) back at Maplewood starting at 8:00 PM. The Chiefs jumped out to a 1-0 lead off Melrose starter Nick Colucci in the top of the second inning when Mitchell Schroeder drilled a solo homer. The Chiefs sent a dozen men to the plate and opened the lead to 7-0 in the top of the fourth. The six run inning was keyed by Ruben Rodriguez, Jr (single), Joe Bova (RBI, double), Nick Valdario (RBI, sacrifice fly), Tyler Feedinand (single), and Miles Reid (RBI, single). Shawn Nestor picked up an RBI for the Americans, when he drove home Owen Duggan (single), with a sixth inning sacrifice fly that cut the Chiefs’ lead to 7-2. Miles Reid led the Chiefs’ eight hit offense with two hits and Teddy Dziuba added a first inning double. Frisoli struck out eight and walked just one. Colucci went 4.2 innings and took the loss. Ben Cassavoy (1.1 inn) and Bailey Taylor-Black (1 inn) also worked for the Americans.