Chiefs Win Season Opener Behind Freni No-Hitter
– Bruce Tillman
Jared Freni picked up just where he left off last August, and then some!
The veteran righty appeared to be right back in playoff form when he spun a no-hitter at the Reading Bulldogs to lead the Andre Chiefs to 3-0 opening night Intercity League win at chilly Endicott College on Tuesday.
Freni actually took a perfect game into the sixth before he issued a two out walk to Bill Cataldo.
Reading starter Sean O’Neill was nearly as good through the first 4.2 innings until the Chiefs broke up the scoreless game when they picked up all three of their runs in the top of fifth.
O’Neill retired the Chiefs in order in the top of the first and Freni struck out two of the three Bulldogs he faced in the bottom of the frame.
O’Neill went the strikeout route himself, striking out the first two batters in the top of the second. Mike Andre delivered the first Chiefs’ hit of the year to right-center but Nate Witkowski bounced out to Burton Deady at third to end the inning.
Freni struck out the Reading side in order on 14 pitches in the bottom of the second.
O’Neill got Mike Barbati, Nick Leva, and Tony Serino to all ground out in the top of the third. Freni struck out the first two Bulldogs in the bottom of third before Deady grounded out to Peter Copa at first to retire the side.
The Chiefs threatened with two away in the fourth but couldn’t break the ice. After O’Neill got Mike Burgoyne to ground out and Billy Mottram line to Darren Hartwell in center, Mike Gedman drilled a triple into the right-centerfield gap. Copa was then hit by a pitch before O’Neill kept the game scoreless when he got Andre to fly to Cam Farnham in left.
Freni struck out the top of the Reading order in succession in the bottom of the fourth.
The defending champs scored all of the runs in the game after two were out in the top of the fifth. Witkowski and Barbati flew out for the first two outs of the inning before Leva singled to left. Tony Serino then followed with another single. Burgoyne gave the Chiefs the lead with the inning’s third straight single down the left field line that scored Leva. The lead went to 2-0 when Serino came across on an infield error and Burgoyne scored the third run on a wild pitch. Gedman was then hit with a pitch and Copa walked to load the bases. Nick Quartro came on in relief of O’Neill and kept the Bulldogs in reach when he got Andre to ground out.
Freni struck out the side for the third time in five innings in bottom of the fifth.
Witkowski led off the sixth and reached when Quartro overthrew his grounder back to the box. Barbati sacrificed Witkowski to second before Quartro struck out Leva for the second out. The Chiefs couldn’t add to their lead when Serino grounded out on close play at first to end the inning.
In the Reading sixth, Freni struck out Cody Hall, walked Catado, got Deady on a groundout, and then Farnham on a fly ball to Serino in center to send the game to the seventh.
Burgoyne led off the Chiefs’ seventh and drew a walk. Mottram flew to Hartwell for the third time in the game before Burgoyne went to second on a wild pitch. Gedman grounded out to shortstop, sending Burgoyne to third, before Copa struck out.
In the Reading seventh, Freni got Ryan O’Conner to bounce back to him for the first out. Hartwell followed and became the second Bulldog to reach base when Mottram gloved his grounder but threw wide of first for an error. Following his 15th strikeout of the night, Freni ended things and preserved the shutout and no-hitter when Taylor grounded out to Barbati to end the game.
For Freni, who picked up his 51st win in a Chiefs’ uniform, it was the second no-hitter he has thrown in his ICL career dating back to his rookie season with the Chiefs in 2006. His first career no-hitter came on June 12, 2013, when he struck out 14 batters in a 2-0 win over the Watertown Reds at Victory Field.
Freni needed 99 pitches to complete Tuesday’s gem.
The Chiefs will host the Somerville Thunder in their home opener at Maplewood Park, on the campus of Malden Catholic, tonight (Wednesday) at 8:00 PM.