Westfield Post 124 catcher Cameron Robitaille, left, tags out Greenfield Post 81 baserunner Brody Markol during Tuesday night’s Game 1 of the American Legion Baseball state sectionals championship (best-of-3 series) at Bullens Field. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD – Westfield Post 124 has had its collective back to the wall nearly the entire postseason. The championship series will not be any different.
Greenfield Post 81 stole home field advantage from Westfield, defeating Post 124 3-1 in the state sectionals best-of-3 series Tuesday night at Bullens Field.
The series shifts to Veterans Field in Greenfield Wednesday night with first pitch set for 7:15 p.m.
“Bottom line is we played from behind before,” Westfield coach Don Irzyk said. “We have to go up there and do that now.”
Westfield lost to Pittsfield in bracket play before responding with consecutive victories against East Springfield and Pittsfield to earn a berth in the championship series. Post 124 will be tasked with doing that again.
“We’ll see what we can do with it.”
Greenfield scored all three of its runs – two were unearned – with two outs. Post 81 loaded the bases four times.
In the first inning, Niko Ames (4 walks) got things started for Greenfield with a one-out walk. Brody Markol and Luke Bakker collected consecutive two out singles. Samuel Downes followed with a sharp hit single to center field, scoring one run. Westfield center fielder Rob Sullivan threw out the second base runner attempting to score at home plate to end the inning.
Greenfield loaded the bases again in the second inning, but Westfield starting pitcher Matt Irzyk struck out No. 3 batter Liam Datres de la Blotier to end the threat.
It was the first of six straight batters that Irzyk retired over the course of innings 2-4.
In the fourth, an infield error kept the inning alive for Greenfield. Lead-off batter Mark Buck blasted a ringing RBI triple to deep center field for a 2-0 lead. A wild pitch made it 3-0.
Irzyk (8 Ks) scattered six hits over 5 1-3 innings before being relieved by Rob Sullivan with one out and two on in the sixth. Sullivan did not allow a hit (or run) in relief.
Greenfield loaded the bases in the sixth and seventh innings, but Sullivan shut down Post 81.
Westfield failed to get much of anything going offensively against Greenfield starter Ben Ruddock. Ruddock allowed just one run on four hits and two walks in a complete game effort. He recorded six strikeouts.
Westfield scored its only run of the game in the sixth inning, an RBI single from Brent Houle. Chris Riga, Cam Robitaille, and Sullivan had the only other hits for Post 124.
“This was a tough one,” coach Irzyk said. “We gave it away ultimately.”
