Lexington – To watch the third and deciding game of the semifinal series between the Andre Chiefs and Lexington go to http://youtu.be/QqaCbtwtbe8
You can also follow the action on the Blue Sox Twitter and updates will be posted on the Intercity League twitter.
After the game check back here for a full recap of tonight’s action.
By Bruce Hack
Malden – Ryan Noone raced around third toward home plate and a 6-5 win for the Chiefs Friday night at Malden Catholic to knot the semifinal series at 1-1.
Game three will be Sunday night in Lexington at 8:00 PM.
Lead off hitter Miles Reid started the rally by reaching on a throwing error. Tommy Leone sacrificed Reid to second placing the tying run in scoring position. Noone went the other way and slapped a base hit to left to drive in Reid to even the game at 5-5. An Andrew Caulfield single, his third hit of the game, moved Noone into scoring position and setting up the winning play.
There were only three innings in which runs were scored as the teams scored in the first, fifth and seventh innings. Each time Lexington scored the Chiefs answered.
The Blue Sox scored in the top of first. Gage Gaunt reached on a fielder’s choice. After the second out he went to third on a single by Julian Alvarez. Alex Voitik’s single to left brought home Gaunt for a 1-0 lead.
Reid started off the bottom of the first with a single. He moved to second on a walk to Nate Witkowski. Following the first out, Caulfield singled and Reid scored on a throwing error.
In the fifth inning the teams exchanged three run home runs. Alvarez gave Lexington a 4-1 lead with a two-out three run blast that scored Josue Feliciano and Luke Hall.
Caulfield answered with his own two-out three run home run which knotted the score at 4-4. Reid and Noone were aboard and scored ahead of Caulfield.
Lexington took the lead for the third time in the top of seventh. Gaunt doubled to left with one out to start the rally. Hall bounced what appeared to be a routine ground out only to see the throw sail over the first baseman and allow Gaunt to score for a 5-4 lead.
Jonathan Richard (1-0) started for the Chiefs and went the distance, the fourth complete game for the Chiefs in the playoffs. He gave up only four hits, but walked six of which only one scored, and struck out seven in his 124 pitch outing.
The cleanup hitters for each team showed why that occupy that spot in the batting order. The Blue Sox Alvarez had two hits, walked twice and three RBI on his home run. The Chiefs Caulfield had his own three-run home run and added two singles.
Reid set the table for the Chiefs reaching base three times and scoring each time. Noone had two hits, scored twice and drove in a run.
Pat McGowan started for Lexington and pitched 5.1 innings giving up five hits, four runs, three earned, walked three and struck out. Borja Jones-Berasaluce came in in the sixth and recorded the last two outs. Manny Delcarmen entered the game in the seventh and suffered his first loss in a Blue Sox uniform.
The teams will meet for game three Sunday night. This is the seventh time in 10 playoff series between the two rivals that the series has gone the distance. The previous six were all in the finals (best of 5) from 2011 to 2016.
Melrose, MA– Dionys Quezada went 3 for 4 with a homer, double, and three RBI’s and Kebler Peralta and Shane Rhuda drove in three runs each to lead the Middlesex Expos to a 16-2 Game Two win over the Melrose Americans at Morelli Field on Friday night.
With the win, the Expos tied the best of three semifinal series at 1-1. The deciding game will be played back at Morelli Field on Sunday.
Andrew Mazzone hit his first home run of the post season (ICL’s best ninth overall of the year) and Michael Oliveira and Bret Samboy each chipped in with a couple of RBI’s to help pace the Expos’ 15 hit offense.
Zach Kirby went the first five innings (2 hits, 7 K’s) to grab the win for Middlesex.
Colin Jaena, the first of five Melrose pitchers in the game, took the loss.
Pat Costigan had two of the Americans’ five hits.
Sunday’s game at Morelli Field will get underway at 7:30 PM.
Bobby Lossano had three hits and two RBI’s and Noah Jankowski and John Jennings added two hits each to lead the Melrose Americans to a 5-3 come from behind win over the Middlesex Expos on Thursday night at Morelli Field. The Americans scored three times in the top of the sixth inning to erase a 3-2 Middlesex lead and go up 1-0 in their best of three semifinal series.
Mike Andrews (3.1 innings) got the win in relief of starter Mike Nestor (2.2 innings) while Nick Colucci threw a scoreless seventh inning, with two strikeouts, to record the save. Michael Smith worked into the sixth inning for the Expos and took the loss.
Game Two of the series will be played on Friday evening at Morelli Field starting at 7:30 PM.
By Bruce Hack
Lexington- Ryan O’Rourke executed a perfect bunt as John Fritz raced across home plate with the go-ahead run to give Lexington a 3-2 lead and send the Blue Sox on to a game one victory in their semifinal series against the Andre Chiefs.
Game two is scheduled for tonight with a 7:45 PM start at Maplewood (Malden Catholic).
The bottom of the sixth started with a single by Alex Voitik, who was pinch-run for by Fritz. Fritz stole second and Dahiandy Johnson walked. Will Potdevin sacrificed to move both runners into scoring position and set up the game-winning scenario.
The game was a typical Chiefs – Blue Sox playoff game. Close, back-and-forth with good pitching, defense and timely hitting.
Lexington scored in the bottom of the first. Josue Feliciano began the inning with a single to center. Feliciano was forced at second and Alex Krylov reaching on a fielders choice. Krylov stole second and Luke Hall walked. Krylov and Hall stole second and third putting two runners into scoring position. Voitik grounded out to second with Krylov scoring.
The Chiefs answered in the top of second. With one out Kyle DeRoma walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and reached third on a fielders choice. From there he scored on a sacrifice fly by Nick Valdario for a 1-1 game.
Lexington retook the lead in the bottom of the second. The Sox loaded the bases on a walk to Potdevin, single by O’Rourke, who pitches and hits for the Blue Sox, and a walk to Brendan Jones. Feliciano reached on a fielders choice with Potdevin scoring for a 2-1 lead.
For the third straight inning a team scored has the Chiefs tied the game in the top of the third. Nate Witkowski reached on a fielding error. He moved to second on a single by Ryan Noone. After two strikeouts, Adam Johnson singled to drive in Witkowski and tie the game at 2-2.
Both starters, the Chiefs Cal Carroll and Lexington’s O’Rourke settled down after the third. Carroll retired nine of 11 Sox batters, five on strikeouts, from the third through fifth innings.
O’Rourke got out of a first and third with one out threat in the first by striking out Andrew Caulfield and Graham Smith. From the fourth through sixth innings he set down eight straight and nine of the last 10 batters he faced.
With the Sox up 3-2 Manny Delcarmen came in to pitch the seventh and set down the Chiefs on six pitches. He combined with O’Rourke to retire 12 of the last 13 Chiefs batters.
O’Rourke finished with eight strikeouts and earned his first postseason win with the Blue Sox.
Johnson and Noone each had two hits for the Chiefs.
To watch the Lexington-Andre series go to Beyond Sight Sports on You Tube and find the game. You can watch game one or watch game two live.
By Bruce Hack
Lexington – The Andre Chiefs advanced to the ICL semifinals with a 13-1 win over Alibrandis Wednesday night at Lexington High School.
The fifth seeded Chiefs defeated sixth seed Reading Tuesday night 6-1 and then beat the fourth seeded Alibrandis. The Chiefs will next take on top seeded Lexington Thursday night in Lexington at 8:00 P.M.
Andre put the game away with a six run second inning. Nate Witkowski singled with the bases loaded to drive in the first two runs of the frame. After a walk and hit batter, Alibrandis starter Jared Brooks was replaced on the mound by Anthony Delprete. The Chiefs added three more runs on a sacrifice fly by Nick Valdario and RBI singles by Adam Johnson and Joe Bova.
Evan Walsh was the beneficiary of the Chiefs offense. The southpaw was 0-5 in the regular season put together his best outing of 2021. He gave up three hits, walked three and struck out six. Though he only had one 1-2-3 inning, Walsh stranded six runners and only allowed two base runners in one inning. The victory was the second postseason career win for Walsh.
Gordie Gronkowski supplied the lone Alibrandis run with a long home run to left in the sixth inning. It was his first postseason home run in the Intercity League.
Valdario was 4-for-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored for the Chiefs. Johnson drove in 3 runs on two singles and an infield out. Witkowski had 3 hits, 2 RBI and Bova had 2 RBI. Miles Reid and Ryan Noone each scored 3 runs. Reid and Noone each had one hit, while Reid had two walks and stole home on the back end of a double steal. Noone reached base on a hit by pitch and an error.
Kyle Halloran had two hits for Alibrandis.
The 13 runs was the most the Chiefs scored since they scored 15 in a 16-15 loss to Lexington on August 23, 2015. On August 12, 2015 the Chiefs defeated Arlington 13-1. For Alibrandis the 13 runs is the most they have allowed in an ICL postseason game since joining the league in 2018. This was the quickest exit for Alibrandis in the playoffs. In 2018 they lost to Lexington in the semifinals. In 2019 they lost to Lexington in the finals. Alibrandis is now 7-9 in three postseasons in the ICL.
By Bruce Hack, ICL correspondent
Veteran lefty Tim Dunphy tossed a two-day complete game five-hitter when the Andre Chiefs eliminated the Reading Bulldogs 6-1 in a game started at Maplewood on Monday and completed at Victory Field last night.
The Chiefs made a five run first inning stand up.
With the win, the #5 Chiefs move on to meet the #4 seeded Alibrandis at Lexington High on Wednesday night at 8:15 PM in a single elimination second play-in game.
The winner of the Chiefs-Alibrandis game will go on to meet the #1 seeded Lexington Blue Sox in the first game of a best of three semi-final series starting Thursday at 8:00 PM in Lexington.
The #2 Middlesex Expos and the #3 Melrose Americans will also begin their semi-final series on Thursday night. Game one of that series will be played at Morelli Field at 7:30 PM.
The Middlesex Expos beat the Malden Maddogs 7-2 on Saturday afternoon to eliminate the Maddogs from the 2021 ICL playoffs and clinch the sixth seed for the Reading Bulldogs.
As a result, the #6 Bulldogs will now meet the #5 Andre Chiefs on Monday at 8:00 PM at Maplewood in a play-in game. The winner of Monday’s game will move on to a second play-in game vs. the fourth seed (Alibrandis or Melrose) on Tuesday night to determine which team will advance to the best of three semi-final round.
Sunday’s Alibrandis at Melrose Americans game at Morelli Field at 3:00 PM will decide who will be the ICL’s third and fourth seed. The winner of the game will meet the #2 seeded Middlesex Expos on Wednesday while the loser drops to fourth and will be forced to meet the Bulldogs-Chiefs winner on Tuesday to determine who will move on to battle the #1 Blue Sox in Lexington on Wednesday night at 8:00 PM. Heading into Sunday’s game, the Americans stand at 13-10 (26 points) and Alibrandis enters the game at 12-10-1 (25 points). The Chiefs and Expos will also conclude their respective regular seasons when they meet at Maplewood tonight at 8:00 PM. The Maddogs-Bulldogs game has been cancelled.
In Saturday’s game, the first ICL game ever played at Lawrence Academy, the Expos rode the complete game three hit, 12 strikeout, pitching of Ryan Qualey (3-1) to the win. Andrew Mazzone (3-4) led the Expos at the plate with a homer, double, and two RBI’s, while Michael Oliveira also went 3-4 including two doubles. For Mazzone, it was his league leading eighth round tripper of the season.
By Bruce Hack
Watertown – In a game moved to Victory Field due to the weather, Lexington jumped out to an 8-0 lead and then held on for an 8-6 win over Alibrandis Thursday night. The Blue Sox win clinched a first place finish in the regular season at 18-6 for 36 points. Alibrandis is 12-10-1 for 25 points in fourth place with a game to play.
Julian Alvarez capped off the sixth run fourth inning with a three run home run, his second of the season. The Sox had Ryan O’Rourke on first (single) with two outs. Lexington took advantage of an Alibrandis error on a dropped infield pop up. Dom Zaher, Gage Gaunt and Luke Hall all delivered two-out singles that drove in a run for a 5-0 lead and setting up Alvarez.
Lexington scored twice in the third also with two outs in the inning. Brendan Jones tripled with one out. After the second out, Gaunt walked and Hall and Alvarez had RBI singles for the 2-0 lead.
Meanwhile on the mound for the Blue Sox O’Rourke faced 15 batters in his 5 innings pitched. He walked Juan Parra to start the game, struck out Pete John and then induced a double-play ground ball by Joe Maguire to end the inning. The southpaw then retired the next 12 batters, eight on strikeouts and finished with five scoreless and hitless innings. At one point he struck out five consecutive batters and seven of eight.
Alibrandis got to the Blue Sox bullpen in the sixth scoring four runs off Armando Acosta. Parra and John each had RBI singles to put Alibrandis on the board with one out. Steve Rizzuto had a two out, two-run single to make it 8-4 after six.
In the seventh with one out Alibrandis loaded the bases on singles by Charlie Auditore, pinch-hitter Tyler Ferdinand and Parra. John delivered a two-run single to make it 8-6 off Blue Sox reliever Robbie Cobb. They would get no closer as Lexington held on to sweep the season series, 4-0.
Alvarez drove in four runs for Lexington on two hits. Jones and Gaunt each scored twice and had two hits. Hall had a pair of two-out RBI.
For Alibrandis John had two hits and three RBI. Auditore scored twice and contributed two hits, including a double. Parra had two hits, a run and RBI.
O’Rourke earned his eighth win of the season finishing 8-0 with 94 strike outs in 50 innings pitched.
Scott McDonald started for Alibrandis and pitched a complete game. He gave up 13 hits, eight runs, two earned, walked three and struck out five.
Bruce Hack, Lexington Media Relations Director
Noah Jankowski had a homer and two RBI’s when the Melrose Americans beat the Middlesex Expos 3-1 on Tuesday night at Morelli Field. Bobby Tramondozzi pitched a scoreless seventh to pick up his league leading fifth save of of the season in relief of starter Mike Nestor (5 innings, 1-0) and reliever Nick Colucci (1 inning). Matt Hosman had the third RBI for the Americans. Cam Monagle (3-1) took the loss for the Expos.
At Maplewood, the Andre Chiefs turned around a 4-1 fifth inning deficit, scoring three times in top of the sixth and adding a couple more runs in the seventh, on the way to a 6-4 win over Alibrandis.
Nick Valdario (3-4, triple, RBI), Graham Smith (2-3, 2 RBI’s), and Andrew Caulfield (double, 2 RBI’s), led the Chiefs in backing Tim Dunphy’s (3-2) complete game win. Gordie Gronkowski hit a homer for Alibrandis. Sean Sullivan (1-3) went the distance but took the loss.