WESTFIELD – As both Westfield Post 124 and Agawam Post 185 packed up and headed for the parking lot, one fan asked “Where was that last out? I didn’t see it.”
No, that fan was not checking his phone or otherwise preoccupied – he just could not see Jacob Colapietro’s line out to short with the tying run on third because it was 8:40 p.m. and it was dark. That happens when you play 11 innings.
Westfield lost its first American Legion Baseball playoff game Tuesday night 6-5 in extra innings, finishing in near darkness at Jachym Field. The double-elimination tournament continues Thursday night against Monson Post 241 at Jachym Field at 5:30 p.m. The game was originally slated to take place Wednesday but was postponed.
Behind 5-3 after the fifth, Agawam scored single runs in the sixth and seventh – the tying run coming with two outs in the seventh – before completing its comeback in the 11th. A lead-off triple to right-center and a Westfield throwing error on the relay gave Agawam the lead. In the bottom of the darkness, Anthony Riga was hit by a pitch leading off the inning. Brett Turbin went in as a pinch runner and was immediately bunted to second by Adam Kearing. Nick Clegg grounded out to second, moving Turbin one base closer, before Colapietro’s hard liner ended it.
Westfield took a quick lead in the first when Matt Hastings scored from third on an high throw to second trying to get Stefan Krol, who was stealing after reaching on a two-out single. Agawam used a pair of singles and a pair of walks to take a 2-1 lead in third before making it 3-1 with a single run in the fourth.
Post 124 finally broke through in the fifth, scoring four runs on four hits. Steve McKenna singled to open the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. Riga put runners on the corners. McKenna was thrown out at the plate trying to score when the third baseman bobbled Kearing’s ground ball. Clegg’s infield single loaded the bases. Colapietro walked to bring in Riga and Matt Hastings long sacrifice fly to center scored Kearing to tie the game 3-3. J.D. Huntley singled in Clegg. Colapietro scored on an Agawam error. It would be Westfield’s last run for the night, although they had plenty of chances.
In the sixth, Westfield had three men on base, but the inning was wiped out by a double play. In the eighth, Huntley beat out an infield single. Pinch runner Andy Daniels was bunted to second by Krol and Jack Blake was intentionally walked. Daniels got as far as third, but that was it. With one out in tenth, Brian Campbell was hit by a pitch and Krol walked, but Westfield never got the ball out of the infield. – Courtesy of Westfield Post 124
