Blanked 8-0 for second straight loss

MALDEN — The Wakefield Merchants seemed to be heating up with four straight wins and by going unbeaten in five games. However the locals have cooled off considerably in their past two games.

Wakefield suffered its second straight defeat as it was blanked by the Andre Chiefs, 8-0, last night under the lights at Maplewood Field.

The Merchants fell to 5-6-1 on the season, while the Chiefs are 10-2-0 on the year.

Wakefield mustered just four hits and couldn’t string enough of them to together while the Chiefs plated eight runs on seven hits and capitalized on their scoring chances.

Andre scored two runs in the first, three in the second, two in the third and one in the fourth.

Wakefield’s Clay Yianacopolus (0-1) hurled three innings giving up seven runs on six hits. He struck out three and walked three.

John Russolillo pitched two innings giving up one run on no hits while walking four and striking out one.

Kevin Flight was the pitcher for the sixth inning and gave up one hit while striking out one and walking one.

Meanwhile, Chiefs’ pitcher Mike DiCato (2-1) went the distance and hurled a four-hit shutout. DiCato struck out three and walked one.

Mike Sorrentino led the Merchants with two hits, while Joe Barry and Louis Tarantino had the others. Sorrentino drew the lone walk surrendered by DiCato. Bobby Losanno and Tarantino each stole a base as well.

Tony Serino led the Chiefs with two hits including a double. He also scored two runs and drove in a run.

Mike Burgoyne, Sean Wishnow, Juan Portes, Paul Yanakopulos and Ryan Sonberg each had one hit. Portes and Sonberg hit home runs, while Yanakopulos and Burgoyne had extra base hits with a double and a triple.

Also scoring runs for Andre were Burgoyne, Pete Copa, Yanakopulos, Sonberg and Mike Barbati. Burgoyne, Portes and Sonberg had two RBIs apiece, while Mike Andre drove in one run.

Coop and Barbati walked twice, while Serino, Danny DiMare, Burgoyne and Portes each drew one free pass.

The Merchants host the Lexington Blue Sox tomorrow night at 6 p.m. at Walsh Field.

Published in the June 30, 2015 edition