Josh Lis started the afternoon for Westfield on the mound, allowing one run and no hits through two innings. Lis also drove in the first run of the game, lining a double to give Westfield a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
WESTFIELD – Westfield’s 13-year-old All-Stars continued their unbeaten start to pool play action Sunday afternoon, combining efficient offense and shutdown pitching to improve to 2-0 after two games at Bullens Field.
Josh Lis and Matt Pelletier combined for a one-hitter and the offense broke the game open with a six-run fourth inning to defeat Franklin County, 11-1, in a mercy-ruled five-inning affair.
Mike Hall led the Westfield offense from the No. 3 spot, going 3-for-3 from the plate. Hall had three of the 11 Westfield hits and scored three runs to lead the 13-year-old All-Stars.
“We’re starting to do the things that we’ve been teaching these kids,” said Head Coach Matt Avery. “We’re moving in the right direction. You can’t get more efficient than that (11 runs on 11 hits). As long as we keep the same approach and do all the little things regardless of the venue, we’ll set ourselves up to be in a good position to win.”
Jack Masciadrelli smoked a three-run double in the fourth inning to conclude the six-run fourth inning. The Westfield second baseman went 2-for-3 from the plate, hitting two of the 11 Westfield hits.
The Wolfpack engaged in a tight affair through the first few innings, with Lis leaving the game after two innings and a 1-1 score. The offense chipped away and slowly extended their margin leading up to their big fourth inning.
Six different Westfield batters recorded at least one hit, led by Mike Hall’s 3-for-3 outing at the plate. The shortstop scored three runs, including the opening run in the first inning on Lis’ RBI double to right-center field.
Wyatt Bandy-Page (green) is forced out at second base after Matt Pelletier (9) fielded a grounder and threw to Jack Masciadrelli at second base. The Westfield defense allowed one hit to Franklin County and allowed no balls to land safely in the outfield.
Franklin County committed just two errors in the game, but both proved costly. In the third inning, an errant throw to home plate scored Hall and moved Mason Collingwood to third base. A dropped third strike wild pitch to Will Cameron brought home Collingwood to increase Westfield’s margin to 3-1.
Dylan Apenell took the tough loss for the visitors, giving up seven unearned runs. Walter Figueroa reached on an error to begin the fourth inning, which would have been the start of a 1-2-3 inning. With two outs, Westfield exploded for six unearned runs, highlighted by Jack Masciadrelli’s three-run double to left-center field.
Mike Hall (22) scored the go-ahead run in the third inning, scoring on an errant throw from the Franklin County left-fielder to put Westfield up 2-1.
“We preach approach,” said Avery. “Baseball is a funny game. This game had a weird vibe at the beginning. We made the pitching change and the tempo changed in our favor. Once the guys see a pitcher once or twice, they get more comfortable and put the ball in play. Our approach is looking for fastballs when in those fastball counts.”
The Westfield starting pitching shut down the Franklin County offense, allowing one hit on an infield single to first base. Lis allowed the only run of the game in the second inning, after Corbin Blight scored on a wild pitch after stealing second base and advancing to third on another wild pitch.
A high pitch count through two innings brought in Pelletier, who faced 10 batters—one more than the minimum—over three innings, benefiting from an error-free defensive display as all nine outs were made via groundouts and flyouts.
“Josh has really good velocity and is our pitcher with the most velocity,” said Avery. “The inconsistency makes it hard for a hitter to adjust. It’s hard to hit that and it makes them off-balance. Then you bring in a guy that throws a little different and the tempo change kept them off-balance again.”
Westfield continues their pool play on the road for the first time Tuesday, when they will travel to the Berkshires Monday for a matchup with North Adams at 7 p.m.
