WESTFIELD – It has been an odd summer All-Star season defined by early exits, championship wins, and one surprisingly Strange sectional final.
Westfield Post 124’s Junior squad rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the District 1/2/3 championship to mercy rule Agawam 15-5 Sunday in their inaugural season.
Westfield No. 2 batter Brian Strange went 3-for-4 with a triple and five RBIs. He was also hit by a pitch.
“We started off slow but we got it together, got some base hits, and we won,” Strange said. “We had great pitching, great hitting all around and great coaches. It’s all about teamwork.”
Both teams came out swinging.
Westfield Post 124 players David Tirrell (8) and Paul Shibley (19) celebrate a District 1/2/3 championship with teammates after mercying Agawam 15-5 Sunday at Jachym Field. (Photo by Bill Deren)
After Ryan Laudato drew a lead-off walk and Matthew Hotaling singled, an error and a run-scoring wild pitch, Laine Paige drove a run-scoring single through the left side for a 2-0 lead.
Westfield (18-2) sliced the lead in half in the bottom half of the inning. Lead-off hitter Paul Shibley smashed a booming triple to deep right center field. Josh Lis drove in Shibley with a one-out line drive single up the middle.
Agawam responded with more offense of its own.
Joseph Jendrysik, Connor Twohig, and Laudato drew consecutive walks to begin the second, signaling the end of the Westfield starter’s short outing. Joseph Longo drove a one-out pitch through the right side to score a run. With two outs, Michael Santore singled down the third base line, scoring two more. Agawam led 5-1.
Westfield answered right back.
In the bottom half of the inning, Jack Lamirande and Jake LaBombard sandwiched a pair of walks around an Aidan Burke infield single. With two outs, Brian Strange launched a single through the left side to make it 5-3.
Westfield continued to build on its momentum.
Jagger Paroline and Shibley hit consecutive one-out singles to open the fourth. Strange followed with a ringing two-run triple that caught part of the uphill climb in deep left center-field. The game was tied 5-all.
In the next inning, Westfield forged a lead.
Westfield loaded the bases when Burke bout out another infield hit, and LaBombard and Paroline walked. Shibley followed with a sac-fly RBI. Strange unleashed another hit, a line drive RBI single up the middle for a 7-5 advantage. A Josh Lis single and subsequent infield error made it 8-5. Back-to-back walks from David Tirrell and Tanner Koziol loaded the bases and forced a second pitching change. Lamirande and Burke drew run-scoring walks.
Agawam changed pitchers again, but the results were the same.
After hitting into a ground out, Paroline was hit by a pitch. A run scored. Shibley drew a bases-loaded walk. Two more batters were beaned, and the game was halted as the 10-run, mercy-rule took effect.
For the Westfield Juniors, it was a season sweep of Agawam. Post 124 compiled a combined record of 7-0 against Agawam and Pittsfield.
“That is unheard of,” Westfield Juniors manager Billy Lamirande said. “That tells you about our team itself. …These kids never give up.”
“Since growing up in Westfield with baseball, there’s two teams,” he said. “Pittsfield and Agawam are by far our two nemeses. It’s always Agawam for districts and Pittsfield for going to states. …I couldn’t be prouder of my coaches.”
The Westfield Post 124 Juniors coaching staff is comprised of Lamirande, Brian Burke, Dan Lucia and Tony Paroline.
Westfield advances to next weekend’s state final. Post 124 is slated to participate in a double header Saturday night at Community Field in North Attleboro at 7 p.m.
Your 2018 American Legion Baseball Junior Division District 1/2/3 champions, Westfield Post 124. (Photo by Bill Deren)
