WESTFIELD – Westfield Bank walked away with the Dan Welch City Cup championship in Babe Ruth Baseball Friday night at Bullens Field … sort of.
Police, playing out of the loser’s bracket, pushed Westfield Bank to the limit, nearly cashing in on their fourth straight win in five days. Westfield Bank rallied in the bottom of the seventh though to overtake Police, 5-4.
2016 BABE RUTH BASEBALL DAN WELCH CITY CUP CHAMPIONS
Westfield Bank
“This game went the same way our season went,” Westfield Bank manager John Bonini said. “We started off slow … but got the job done.”
“It was a good way to end it, a good way to end it, a good way to wrap it up.”
Westfield Bank pitcher Adam Kearing dodged a bullet to start the game, getting out of a bases-loaded jam early in the game.
In the top of the first inning, Rory Tettemer drew a lead-off walk. Dillon Bazegian and Mitchell Longley followed with two-out walks to load the bases, but Kearing forced a ground out to end the threat.
Westfield Bank scored the game’s first run. Hunter Authier hit a booming one-run double to the left field fence with one out. Nate Bonini, who reached on a line drive single and stole second base, scored.
Police manufactured some offense in the third inning with the help of some good fortune. Nick Garde drew a two-out walk, advanced to second base, and scored on an errant pickoff attempt at third base. Bazegian walked. A wild pitch allowed both runners to advance before Longley knocked them both in with an infield base knock for a 3-1 advantage.
Westfield Bank responded.
Jimmy Hagan led off the bottom half of the third with a sharp hit ball to left field. Hagan stole second base and moved over to third on the play with a misplayed pickoff attempt. He scored on a wild pitch.
Police added an insurance run in the sixth inning.
Nate Boulay reached on an infield error, advanced on a Bazegian double, and scored on Longley’s sac-fly. Police led 4-2.
The action at Friday night’s Babe Ruth Baseball Dan Welch City Cup championship was often hotly contested, and, like this play, left the players searching for daylight in a cloud of dust. (Photo by Kellie Adam)
Westfield Bank fought back again.
Luke Bacapolous doubled to start the bottom of the sixth. Jacob Labrie reached on an infield error. Both runners moved over a base on a wild pitch. Billy Mollison walked to load the bases. Mike Pacheco hit an RBI single to pull Westfield Bank within one run of a tie, 4-3.
Westfield Bank attempted to strike it rich in the inning but Police reliever Mitchell Longley struck out two straight batters with the bases loaded to end the threat.
Westfield Bank rallied in the bottom of the seventh.
Bonini and Authier walked to start the last half of the seventh. Both baserunners advanced on a wild pitch. Devin Baker hit a run-scoring single to knot the game at 4-all. Baker stole second uncontested. Bacapolous walked to load the bases again. Then, Adam Kearing drew a game-winning, walk-off walk.
“I got a good pitch, battled off a couple pitches – good pitcher with Mitch on the mound – and I just got it through the hole,” Baker said of the game-tying hit. “It was unique (to win the game with a walk) but well worth it.”
Police displayed good sportsmanship after the game, and also deserved much applause for their near heroic-effort.
“The kids played hard,” Police manager John Garde said. “We just ran out of gas. We won three in a row. They all fought hard right to the end … If we had pulled out this one, we would have been in trouble in the second.”
