WESTFIELD – For several years, Westfield and Pittsfield baseball have waged some of the most intriguing games at every level – Little League, Babe Ruth, high school, whatever – and the latest was no exception.
Pittsfield pulled off a roller coaster of a victory on Day One of the Babe Ruth Baseball 13-Year-Old eastern regionals, scraping by Westfield 7-6 Thursday night at Bullens Field.
It was a game of extreme highs and lows for both teams.
Pittsfield came up with a pair of timely hits, both with two outs to seize the game’s first lead 3-0 in the first inning.
Westfield first baseman Danny Provost makes the stretch to get the Pittsfield base runner during Thursday night’s Babe Ruth Baseball northeast regionals at Bullens Field. (Photo by Bill Deren)
Sam Sherman reached for Pittsfield with out in the first, and Patrick Rindfuss reached on an error. With two outs, Luke Mele hit an RBI single to right field. Shane Bernardo followed with a bloop single over the first base bag to score two runs.
Dylan Trova manufactured another run for Pittsfield in the fifth inning, reaching on an error with no outs, stealing second base, advancing and scoring on a wild pitches.
Pittsfield pitcher Patrick Rindfuss cruised through the first three innings. It wasn’t until the fourth when Westfield finally created some noise on the basepaths against reliever Luke Mele.
Troy Hevey and Dylan Arooth reached on consecutive walks to begin the fourth. Jimmy Cloutier broke up the no-hitter with a hot shot off the reliever down the third base line for a run-scoring base hit.
Westfield kept the momentum going.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Westfield rallied off Pittsfield’s second, third, and fourth pitchers.
Danny Provost, Ryan Lapoint, and Jeremy McCormick drew consecutive walks to load the bases for Westfield in the sixth. A fielder’s choice on Bobby Delapenna’s ground out cut the deficit in half. A Hevey walk loaded the bases again. Arooth hit a ball deep on the left side of the infield to pull Westfield within one run of a tie. Cloutier hit a game-tying RBI single to left center field. A wild pitch netted Westfield the lead. Alex Lacourse doubled to right center field for a 6-4 advantage.
Pittsfield quickly regained the lead, surging ahead with three runs in the seventh for a one-run lead. The key hits included a lead-off double from Bernardo, a run-scoring wild pitch, and a two-run double from pinch hitter Michael Britten.
Westfield threatened in the final half inning, loading the bases with two outs, but were shut down in the end.
Westfield returns to action Friday against Trumbull (Conn.) at 7 p.m. Trumbull opened the regional tournament with a 13-9 win over Newton (Mass.) Thursday. In other games, Tri-County (Maine) defeated Rhode Island, 11-5, and Keene (N.H.) routed Suburban (Vermont), 17-0.
NOTES: Westfield Babe Ruth 13-Year-Old All-Stars coach Jim Jachym was honored prior to Thursday night’s game for his local involvement with youth ball players.
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
12-YEAR-OLD ALL STARS
SECTIONALS
Leominster 11, Westfield American 8
Leominster hit a pair of three-run homers in the third inning, and staved off a late rally to eliminate Westfield American from All-Star play Thursday night at Ralph E. Sanville Field on Cross Street.
Westfield rallied from four runs down to take a 5-4 lead in the third inning. The key hits of the inning included a two-run double from Caden Matuszczak and Liam Poole’s three-run home run.
Leominster responded with two three-run dingers in the fourth inning, one each from Thomas Rupp and Adam Sears.
Jay Scherpa pulled Westfield within two runs of a tie, 10-7, when he belted a two-run triple to right field in the bottom half of the inning.
Leominster tacked on a run in the fifth; Westfield American added one in the sixth, courtesy of a towering solo home run from Jay Scherpa.
