WESTFIELD – The Westfield 13-Year-Old All-Stars will have an extended break to rest up and recharge for next week’s regionals at Bullens Field.
Blackstone Valley scored eight unanswered runs to stun Westfield 9-3 in the state semifinals Tuesday night at Bullens Field. Blackstone advances to play Pittsfield in the finals Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Because Westfield is the host team for next week’s regionals, they will return to action despite actually advancing in the state tournament.
Blackstone Valley struck first.
Aidan King flips the ball to Troy Hevey to get the out at second base. (Photo by Marc St. Onge)
Tommy George led off the game with a single, stole second base, advanced to third on a ground out, and scored on a Ryan Boyce single for a 1-0 lead.
The lead was short-lived.
Jeremy McCormick hit a lead-off base knock for Westfield in the home half of the first inning. McCormick moved to second on a errant pickoff attempt. Alex Lacourse followed with a single and stole second. Troy Hevey tied the game with a run-scoring single to right center field. Hevey stole second. A passed ball made it 2-1. Another run scored on Dylan Arrooth’s fielder’s choice hit to the third base side.
Blackstone Valley made it 3-all in the fourth. Consecutive one-out hits from Matt Landry and Jack Margoupis got things started for the visitor. A two-out, run-scoring error and run-scoring wild pitch evened up the score.
In the fifth, Blackstone Valley went ahead.
George and Pat Kastin drew consecutive walks. Then with two outs, Jack Greenwood hit into a ground out. George charged home on the play, sliding past home plate but crawling back in time to slap the plate before the catcher’s tag. A Landry walk, Margoupis RBI single, and run-scoring error gave Blackstone Valley a 6-3 advantage.
Blackstone Valley blew it open in the sixth with three more runs. Tommy Puda manufactured Blackstone’s first run of the inning when he reached on a bunt single, stole second, and eventually came around to score on George’s RBI ground out. A Boyce RBI single and Greenwood RBI double brought the score to 9-3.
