Westfield American Legion Post 124 second baseman Timothy Donahue, left, makes the tag on Aldenville’s Travis Seymour whom was caught between second and third base. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
CHICOPEE – It was an afternoon of missed opportunities for Westfield’s American Legion Post 124 baseball team Saturday, who fell 3-1 to Aldenville’s Post 337 at Chicopee’s Szot Park, dropping to 11-4 on the summer with playoffs creeping around the corner.
“You can’t leave guys on base,” said Post 124 Coach Don Irzyk, whose squad was unable to get a runner home in the second inning despite loading the bases, a theme for the team’s afternoon.
The day began with several strong innings from each team defensively, until a double from Aldenville’s Zane Kagan in the bottom of the third scored a Post 337 runner to make it a 1-0 score.
Westfield would respond in the top of the fourth, when a Sam Blake single knocked home Nate Barnes to knot the score at one-all, but a Matt Irzyk groundout, followed by a Liam Flaherty strikeout, would extinguish the Post 124 rally.
The fourth would also see Westfield making a pitching change, replacing starter Ryan Tettemer with Connor Sas, who was able to make quick work of the Aldenville side to get Westfield off of the Szot sod and into the on-deck circle.
Westfield American Legion Post 124 starting pitcher Ryan Tettemer delivers to an Aldenville American Legion Post 337 batter during Saturday’s game in Chicopee. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Post 124’s anemic offense continued to rear it’s ugly head to open the fith frame, despite a Kyle Murphy single and a subsequent stolen base from the centerfielder.
Aldenville would then showcase a frame of smallball that would make Mike Scioscia proud, unleashing a barrage of bunts, singles and steals, culminating in a Mike Bombard single which drove in two runs, putting Aldenville up 3-1, which would be the final score of the afternoon.
“Now we just have to sit and wait,” Irzyk said, referencing his team’s future in the Western Mass playoffs. “It all depends on how Springfield fares today.”
