WESTFIELD – The Westfield Starfires know a thing or two about walk-off victories at Bullens Field, having already put together a pair on their home field this season. They nearly pulled off a third such feat, but were sharply denied.
The Pittsfield Suns rallied from a 3-1 deficit, scoring three unanswered runs to cap off a come-from-behind victory over Westfield, 4-3, in 10 innings Friday night.
It was a nail-biter throughout.
Westfield (5-12) drew first blood in the bottom of the first inning. The Starfires top three batters, Danny Cross, Devin Kellogg and Andrew Ciacciarelli reached on consecutive walks off Pittsfield starting pitcher Matt Clarkin to begin the game. Christian Walsh drove in a run on a fielder’s choice. Clarkin minimized the damage though, battling back to force a fly out and strikeout to end the threat.
Westfield Starfires pitcher Stephen Fleury (10) attempts a pick-off attempt to first baseman Sean Moorhouse (24) Friday night against the Pittsfield Suns at Bullens Field. (Photo by Marc St. Onge)
Pittsfield immediately knotted the game at 1-all on a Nate Cormier sac-fly in the top of the second.
Westfield managed to load the bases again in the third with a walk from Crossen, a ground rule double on a well-hit ball from Kellogg to right field, and a Ciacciarelli hit-by-pitch. With one out, Andrew Selima was hit by a pitch, putting the Starfires back out front 2-1. A two-out, bases loaded walk from Anthony Clark made it 3-1.
Pittsfield pulled within one in the top of the fourth, loading the bases, and pushing a run across with a fielder’s choice.
The Suns threatened to tie it or go ahead in the fifth, loading the bases with a double from Andrew Fernandez and two-out walks from Dan Baruch and Matt Valente, the second coming off of Westfield reliever Leif Bigelow. Bigelow got out of the jam though, forcing a ground out to end the inning.
There were other instances of squandered opportunities, or rather gutty pitching performances (depending which team you had a rooting interest in).
Pittsfield actually had the best chance to open the game with a lead, getting two runners in scoring position following two-out singles and subsequent stolen bases from Matt Malcolm and Jeff Boggess in the first. Westfield starting pitcher Stephen Fleury forced a fly-out to center field though to escape unscathed.
It likely all balanced itself out in the end. The Starfires loaded the bases in the fourth with a pair of two-out walks from Kellogg and Walsh, sandwiched around a single from Ciacciarelli. A fly out to right field ended the inning.
In the top of the eighth, Pittsfield loaded the bases off Westfield reliever Vincenzo Camera with a Jack Culumovic single and walks from Boggess and Fernandez, knocking Camera from the mound. An infield error made it 3-all. Starfires reliever Matt Costanza shook off the unearned run, responding with a strikeout to end the inning.
Costanza continued to impress in spot duty, striking out the next two batters he faced in the ninth. He turned the ball over to Mason St. Pierre with a 1-2 count on Pittsfield lead-off batter Mark Coley. St. Pierre. St. Pierre got Coley to ground out.
Westfield briefly flirted with their third walk-off win of the season when Ciacciarelli hit a two-out double to deep center field in the bottom of the ninth, but the Starfires grounded out to end the inning.
Instead, it would be Pittsfield walking away feeling satisfied.
Culumovic reached on a broken-bat single to begin the 10th. Malcolm followed with a base hit to left field. The base runners advanced on a wild pitch. A bloop single from Boggess in shallow left field gave Pittsfield its first lead of the game, 4-3.
St. Pierre quickly recovered, striking out three of the next four batters he faced to end the Pittsfield half of the 10th.
Westfield came up to bat in the last half of the 10th, and went down swinging 1-2-3.
The Starfires will look to bounce back Sunday at home against Bristol at 5 p.m.
