Westfield pitcher Mike Lurgio leaps for the tag at home on Agawam’s Santino Curto during the second inning. Curto was declared safe at the plate. (Photo by chief photographer Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD – Matt Pelletier’s line drive with two outs in the fourth scored Tanner Koziol from third and capped a 10-run inning Saturday in Westfield South’s 11-year-old 17-7 district semifinal win over visiting Agawam at Cross Street. It wasn’t, however, as easy as it looked.
The teams were even through the first two innings and tied again at 7-7 in the top of the fourth when Agawam’s AJ Kerr scored after reaching on an error. These same two teams had opened the District 2 tournament at Cross Street back on June 30, with Westfield South winning an equally close game, 8-5. This second tight contest disappeared when Westfield South sent 15 boys to the plate in the fourth, using five hits and seven walks to put an early end to the game.
Jack Blake (2-for-3, 2 runs scored) started the inning by bouncing a double off the centerfield fence. Mike Lurgio followed by drawing his second of three walks on the day and Blake scored when Koziol then singled. Ryan Paro walked, Colin Scanlon reached on a fielder’s choice, Pelletier and Tony Torres (2-for-2, 2 walks, 2 runs scored) walked and Baley Collier followed with an RBI single. Blake singled in a pair of runs with his second hit of the inning. More walks kept the bases loaded for Pelletier, who lined his walk-off single to center, invoking the 10-run mercy rule and ending the game.
Westfield South, the second seed in the district tournament, will meet Westfield North in the district final on Monday at 3 p.m. at Cross Street. North, seeded fourth, defeated top-seeded and undefeated Northampton 3-2 in 8 innings Saturday. North won the first meeting with South on July 8, 21-11.
After starting pitcher Collier and his relief, Lurgio, both struggled, Paro came on to shut down Agawam and set up Westfield South’s big finish. Paro, making his first pitching appearance of the tournament, started the third by getting a pair of easy ground ball outs. One walk later, he got his third ground ball out of the inning. In the top of the fourth Paro did let up the tying (unearned) run, but struck out Ryan Graham and got Robert Schlosser to ground out to end the inning.
Agawam starter Zach Pirnie opened the game by walking the first three Westfield South batters in the first. Logan Krol then blooped a single into short left to tie the game at 1-1. Blake followed with a bases-loaded walk, as did Lurgio. Liam Webster singled in the fourth run of the inning for Westfield South.
Collier (2-for-2, walk, hit by a pitch, 2 runs scored) singled in Torres in the second after Torres legged out a one-out triple. Krol reached on a fielder’s choice and later scored on Koziol’s (2-for-3, 2 runs scored) single, tying the game at 6-6. Westfield South briefly went ahead 7-6 in the third when Quinn Powers walked with two outs, stole second and then raced home when Torres singled to center. – Courtesy of John Blake
