Westfield Babe Ruth Baseball 13-Year-Old All-Stars pitcher Connor Koziol delivers against Bedford (N.H.) Tuesday night in the New England Regionals Tuesday night in Manchester, N.H. (Submitted photo)
MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Westfield Babe Ruth 13-Year-Old All-Stars have staved off elimination again.
Westfield edged Bedford (N.H.) 4-3 in the New England Regionals to advance to the loser’s bracket final. The Whip City All-Stars will take on the winner of Plymouth-Coventry (R.I.) Wednesday night at 6.
Nick Garde scored the eventual game-winning run for Westfield in the bottom of the fifth inning on a wild pitch. Garde entered as a pinch runner for Jack Yvon (2-for-3, 2 RBIs, run scored), who led off the inning with a single. Dalen Mochak (2-2) and Andrew Tobias (2-3, SB) singled to load the bases before the pitch got away from Bedford.
It was a tightly-contested ball game from the start.
After falling behind 1-0, Westfield responded with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Roberts and Dillon Bazegian (2 runs) singled, and advanced on a balk. Mitchell Longley hit a sac-fly RBI, and a fielder’s choice on Yvon’s ground out made it 2-1.
John Daley delivers in relief for Westfield. (Submitted photo)
Bedford knotted the game at 2-all in the top of the third, but it was not long-lived. Bazegian drew a walk in the bottom of the inning, advanced to second base on a wild pitch, and scored on Yvon’s RBI single.
In the fifth, Bedford rallied to tie the game again, 3-3. But Westfield responded quickly with what held up as the game-winner.
Westfield’s pitching staff was equally up to the task.
Connor Koziol delivered a tremendous start on the mound for Westfield, scattering five hits over 4 2-3 innings. Koziol recorded three strikeouts, walked two batters, and allowed three runs. John Daley preserved the win with 2 1-3 innings of one-hit ball in relief. Daley escaped a few jams, including a bases-loaded situation in the seventh inning. He forced a pop-fly to end the game.
