Chiefs Edge Somerville 3-2

– Bruce Tillman

The Andre Chiefs used five pitchers, who combined for eleven strikeouts and a two-hitter, to turn back the Somerville Thunder 3-2 in their Intercity League home opener on Wednesday night.

If you arrived late and missed the first inning, then you missed all of the scoring that the two teams would offer on this unusually cold June evening.

The Thunder came out of the box strong and took a quick 2-0 lead off veteran starter Tim Dunphy.

The defending champs came right back in the bottom of the inning and scored three times against Northern Essex’s Zanif Pajaztovic on singles by Tony Serino, Paul Yanakopulos, and Mike Andre, and a triple from 2014 ICL MVP Johnny Welch (pictured).

That was it in the scoring department for the night despite the fact that the Chiefs had nine hits but they left seven men on base.

With a rainout on Monday, Jared Freni’s complete game no-hitter on Tuesday, and a light opening week ICL schedule, Manager Chuck Andre chose to give his staff some much needed work. They responded by retiring 20 of the last 21 hitters they faced.

Dunphy rebounded and worked a 1-2-3 second, Matt DiCato, who was credited with win, retired the Thunder side in order in both of the third and fourth innings, with four strikeouts. Lefty Evan Walsh worked a scoreless fifth and Mike DiCato cruised through a three up-three down sixth with two more K’s. Former Washington Nationals’ lefty Mitchell Clegg ended the night in style for the staff when he struck out the Somerville side in order in the seventh to chalk up the save.

The Chiefs are back in action next Monday night when they host the Arlington Trojans at Malden Catholic at 8:00 PM.