WESTFIELD – For the second straight game, Westfield Post 124 won in a walk-off, 3-2 over Easthampton Post 224 late Tuesday night under the lights at Bullens Field.
Andy Daniels (Westfield Technical Academy), the winning pitcher in Saturday’s eight-inning 5-4 walk-off over Northampton, this time blooped a two-out single into right field to score Brian Campbell (Pope Francis) with the winning run. Campbell led off the inning with a single through the shortstop hole. He stole second and was moved to third on Jack Blake’s (Westfield High) ground ball to the right side. Steve McKenna drew a full-count walk that brought Daniels to the plate. Two pitches later, Post 124 had its fourth straight win.
Westfield Post 124 has left the competition in a cloud of dust this American Legion Baseball season. (Staff File Photo)
Easthampton trailed for the first five innings, managing only two base runners against Westfield starter Devin Baker (Westfield High). Baker retired the first five batters he faced, gave up back-to-back singles in the second, and then proceeded to retire the next 11 Easthampton hitters. During one stretch from the fourth into the fifth inning, Baker struck out five in a row.
In the top of the sixth with one out, Easthampton strung together three singles to cut the Westfield lead to 2-1. A wild-pitch third strike tied the score, 2-2. Baker got his seventh strike out to get out of the inning. He finished the night with eight strikeouts.
The Easthampton seventh started with two quick outs before Baker gave up a single squeezed between a pair of walks, loading the bases. Aidan Dunn (Westfield High) came on in relief of Baker and faced one batter, getting a strikeout to end the threat and setting the stage for the dramatic ending.
Westfield (4-2) put runners on base in six of the seven innings, but could only manage single runs in the second and third. Daniels walked to open the second and scored on Mitchell Longley’s (Westfield High) line drive single up the middle. In the third, Jacob Colapietro (UMass-Amherst) beat out a ground ball to second, moved to second on Blake’s single to left, and scored on McKenna’s single to center.
Westfield travels to play Greenfield at 7 p.m. at Veteran’s Field Friday. On Saturday, Post 124 will be at Whitney Park to play Ludlow at 1 p.m.
The next home game for Westfield Post 124 will be July 2 against Agawam at Bullens Field at 7 p.m. – Courtesy of John Blake
AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL (Season-to-date)
POST 124 JUNIORS
Westfield 5, Longmeadow 3
Aidan Burke led the offense with two hits, and Matt Bernatchez earned the victory on the mound for Post 124, which improved to 8-1.
Westfield 12, East Longmeadow 0
Pitcher Colby Gazda recorded a shutout. Tannier Koziol, Brett Bonenfant, Josh Lis and Jack Lamirande collected two hits apiece.
Westfield 10, Wilbraham 4
Brett Bonenfant piled up four hits, and Jagger Paroline, Koziol and Brennan Jarvis each had two. Lis was the winning pitcher.
Greenfield 14, Westfield 6
Koziol, Lis, Brian Strange, Ethan Flaherty, Aidan Burke, and Cam Gourde had the lone hits for Westfield.
Westfield 9, Greenfield 5
Paul Shibley led the hit attack with three; Burke and Koziol had two apiece. Pitcher David Tirrell earned the win.
Westfield 14, Belchertown 3
Burke (3 hits), Tirrell (2), Darryl Reopel (2), and Matt Bernatchez (2) delivered multi-hit efforts. Bernatchez also notched a “W” on the mound.
Westfield 9, Pittsfield 8
Jake Labombard and Koziol landed two hits apiece. Labombard also earned the pitching victory.
Westfield 7, Agawam 3
Burke, Paul Shibley, Lis, and Jagger Paroline had Westfield’s hits. Lis was the winning pitcher.
Westfield 10, Belchertown 0
Tirrell silenced Belchertown with a shutout. Bonenfant led the offense with two hits. – Billy Lamirande contributed to this report
