Westfield starting pitcher Lee Albertson delivers to an Algonquin batter during the third-inning. (Photo by chief photographer Frederick Gore)
CHICOPEE – The Algonquin Regional High School baseball team stole away into the night yesterday, leaving Westfield two wins short of the state title. The Bombers lost a heartbreaker to the Tomahawks in the 9-inning semifinal at Szot Park, 4-3.
Algonquin won the game with a ninth-inning sac-fly to get by Westfield ace Lee Albertson and the Bombers, who won the Western Massachusetts championship nearly a week ago. The Tomahawks move on to face Xaverian in the D1 state final Saturday at Holy Cross at 7 p.m.
Algonquin’s No. 7 batter, Tim Benson reached base after being hit by a pitch to begin the final inning. Chris Strobel followed with a sacrifice bunt, but was safe when Westfield botched the defensive play. Ryan Moynihan came in to pinch run for Strobel. Another sac-bunt, which the Bombers fielded cleanly for the first out of the inning, moved the runners to second and third.
Then, Malik Daley, who in his previous at-bats was just 1-for-4 with a lone single, drove a fly ball deep to center field, easily driving in the game-winning run.
Westfield attempted to counter with a run of its own.
In the bottom of the ninth, Albertson reached on an error before being pinch run for. Laraway, 0-for-4 in his previous at-bats made amends with an infield single, but the other baserunner was picked off at third after overrunning the base and failing to get back in time. Kyle Murphy (2-5, 2 doubles) grounded out to end the game.
“I’m proud of them,” Westfield coach Rich Discenza said. “They took this on as a personal challenge. They were motivated, worked hard in practice, and denied themselves a few things along the way. Hopefully they learned it’s not all about one guy.”
Albertson was that one guy – at least on the mound – for three of the last four games, pitching Westfield (19-5) to victories in the Western Massachusetts Division 1 quarterfinals and championship game, and keeping the Bombers within striking distance against Algonquin on Thursday thanks to a two-day postponement due to rain.
The senior ace kept Algonquin scoreless for the first three innings until Christian Miller’s ground out RBI and Benson’s run-scoring single in the fourth put the opposition out front 2-0.
Westfield finally responded with two runs in the sixth. Adam Mayhew was hit by an 0-2 pitch, and scored on Anthony Nomakeo’s thunderous blast to deep left field, which resulted in a double. Aris Larancuent drove in Nomakeo on a two-out line drive up the middle, tying the game at 2-2.
But Algonquin would not go away, at least without a full-blown effort.
In the seventh, with two outs, Strobel singled. Pinch-runner Mike Stamas stole second before Mike Baker drilled a single to left-center field for the go-ahead run.
Westfield tied the game in the eighth. Mayhew singled off reliever Luke Serra. He advanced to second on Nomakeo’s sac-bunt and scored on Ethan Atkocaitis’s run-scoring hit. But the Bombers, after countering with their own bit of small ball, failed to score again.
“We hit the ball better than I thought we had in a long time,” coach Discenza said. “We just didn’t hit in the right spots. We had a number of opportunities, but (Algonquin) did a good job. They sprayed it around.”
Algonquin starter Zach Grey scattered six hits, struck out four batters, and walked two before being lifted after seven innings. Albertson recorded four strikeouts in the complete game effort. He allowed seven hits and walked one.
Westfield committed four errors.
