Blue Sox Even Series With Chiefs
– Bruce Tillman
Drew Brzozowski threw a complete game shutout, turning back scoring chances all night long, as the Blue Sox took Game Two of the Intercity League’s Championship Series 4-0 over the Andre Chiefs in Lexington on Tuesday night. With the win, the Blue Sox even up the series at a game apiece with Game Three scheduled for Thursday night at Malden Catholic at 8:00 PM.
Brzozowski allowed nine hits and three doubles but pitched his way out of each jam. The former Brandeis right-hander was aided by some dazzling Lexington defense to help the Chiefs strand eight men on base.
Tony Deshler got the first of the Chiefs hits with one out in the top of the first inning but he was erased when Juan Portes bounced into a 4-6-3 doubleplay.
Lexington took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Ross Curley set the tone when he fouled off five Tim Dunphy pitches before lining a single to right. Jeff Vigurs followed with an infield grounder that moved Curley to second. Steve Gath’s single to right scored Curley and Gath went to second when the ball scooted by Matt Boleski for an error. Dunphy got Dan Graham to ground out before Dave Ahern’s single to center scored Gath with the second run of the inning.
The Chiefs missed the first of their scoring opportunities in the top of the second inning. Mike Andre (pictured) and Nate Witkowski both singled to center with one out. Paul Yanakopoulos was next and he hit an infield grounder that forced Witkowski at second and sent Andre to third. With runners on the corners, Brzozowski got Boleski to ground out to Curley at third base to end the inning.
Dunphy struck out Josh Klimkiewicz and Tommy McKenna, sandwiched around a Tom Haugh single, before getting Curley to ground out to end the Blue Sox second.
The Chiefs missed another scoring chance in the top of the third inning. Nick Leva led off with a sharp single to left. Brzozowski then struck out Tony Serino looking and got his former Brandeis teammate Deshler on an infield fly. Portes then drilled a single to left but the runners were left stranded when Peter Copa got caught looking at strike three.
Gath and Graham both singled with one away in the Lexington third before Ahern bounced into a doubleplay.
The Chiefs got another runner in scoring position in the top of the fourth on Witkowski’s two out double, but Boleski grounded out to Haugh at first to end the frame.
The Blue Sox went in order in the bottom of the fourth while the Chiefs left another runner in scoring position in the top of the fifth. After Leva grounded out and Serino popped up, Deshler lined a double to right-center. Curley then turned in the defensive gem of the night when he robbed Portes of extra bases when he leaped high to snag a liner that was headed for the leftfield corner.
The Blue Sox doubled their lead in the bottom of the fifth. McKenna beat out an infield chopper to first base, stole second, and went to third when Leva’s throw went into centerfield. Curley flew to right and Dunphy struck out Vigurs for the first two outs of the inning. Three straight singles by Gath, Graham and Ahern, then gave the Blue Sox some breathing room at 4-0.
Andre doubled and Witkowski singled with one out in the Chiefs’ sixth. Brzozowski thwarted yet another prospective scoring chance when he struck out Yanakopoulos and got Boleski to ground out.
Dunphy, kept the Sox off the board in the bottom of the sixth and Brzozowki got the Chiefs’ side in order in the seventh to seal the win.
Andre had a double and single to lead the Chiefs offense. The former Merrimack College captain and Medford High standout is now hitting .471 (7 for 18) with two doubles so far for the Chiefs in the post season. Gath, the former Bentley captain from Reading, was three for three and Graham and Ahern each had two hits for Lexington.
Brzozowski struck out three and didn’t walk anyone. Dunphy allowed ten hits, two earned runs, and struck out a season high seven batters.