Chiefs Dominate Americans in Battle of Local Teams
Bercume 2 Homers, Portes 3 Run Shot, Give Freni 14-4 Win
Jeff Bercume had three hits, including two home runs, and Juan Portes added a three run shot, to give the Andre Chiefs a 14-4 win over the Medford Americans on Sunday afternoon at Playstead Park.
The Chiefs rung out a dozen hits and jumped out to a 6-0 lead when they sent nine men to plate in the second inning. That was more than enough for starter Jared Freni (2-0-1) who went five innings to get the win.
After a scoreless first inning the Chiefs jumped on Medford starter Paul Pollano (1-1) in the visitor’s second. Nick Leva gave the Chiefs a 2-0 lead when he drove in Tim Quinn and Tony Deshler who had both walked. Singles by Bercume and Hal Landers, in his first game back from the D-3 College World Series with Wheaton, drove home Leva. Portes was next and he deposited a Pollano offering over the left field fence for a 6-0 lead.
The margin went to 7-0 in the fourth on Bercume’s solo homer to left-center.
The Americans cut into the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Mike DelPonte hit a two run homer off Freni, scoring Danny Gunn (single) ahead of him.
The Chiefs put the game away when they scored seven times in the top of the sixth inning to run the margin to 14-2. Bercume’s two run homer, pinch hitter Matt Boleski’s two RBI single, Quinn’s RBI double an RBI single from Mike Andre accounted for the Chiefs’ runs.
John Chotkowski came on to work the bottom of the sixth inning and gave up an RBI single to Gunn.
Western New England University’s Dan Bonito of Swampscott worked the seventh and surrendered a solo homer to Joe Sheehan for the 14-4 final.
Freni pitched five innings, allowed four hits, struck out seven and walked three.
The Chiefs are 5-1 heading into Wednesday’s 7:45PM game against the Mooney Dental Tanners at Maplewood in Malden. The Americans, 4-4, are in Wakefield on Wednesday. The Chiefs and Americans play again on Monday, June 25 at 7:45PM at Maplewood.
– Information from Andre Chiefs