Westfield Bank starting pitcher Camille Bruno delivers a pitch against Richard’s Jewelers in a Westfield Little League Softball 14U contest Monday night at Sadie Knox Field. (MARC ST.ONGE/THE WESTFIELD NEWS)
WESTFIELD – Both teams are rich with talent but it was Westfield Bank who cashed in with a victory against Richard’s Jewelers in the latest meeting of Westfield Little League Softball 14U teams.
No. 7 batter Savannah Beach went 3-for-4 with two doubles, five RBIs, and one run scored as Westfield Bank overwhelmed Richard’s Jewelers 13-2 Monday night at Sadie Knox.
Westfield Bank pitchers Camille Bruno, Grace Leduc, and Allie Stucenski tossed a combined two-hitter.
Patience proved to be the key for Westfield Bank in the early going. After Richard’s Jewelers emergency starter Julia Bonfitto, who typically plays for OMG in the 12U Division, retired three of the game’s first four batters, one via K, Westfield Bank worked the counts well.
Camille Bruno, Marlow Murphy, Emily Frangie, Gabby Grabiec, Allie Stucenski, and Alexandra LaMountain all drew walks for Westfield Bank in the top of the second inning. Stucenski’s and LaMoutain’s free passes each pushed a run across the plate. A Charlotte Bouyea RBI single, a run-scoring error on a ball put in play by Beach, and a run-scoring wild pitch accounted for the other three runs.
Westfield Bank increased its lead in the third inning. After Allie Rehor and Bruno collected base hits, Beach smashed a two-run double to deep center field for a 7-0 advantage.
Richards Jewelers put the pressure on in the bottom half of the third. Bonfitto walked and stole second base. Caitlyn Arooth and Jaeda’Rea Haskoor drew consecutive one-out walks to load the bases, but Westfield Bank third baseman Allie Rehor snared a line drive in mid-flight and stepped on the third base bag to complete the double play.
In the fourth, persistence paid off. Richard’s Jewelers’s Jahneesa Armstead drew a lead-off walk off Westfield Bank reliever, Leduc. Armstead advanced on a wild pitch. With one out, Grace Trempe was hit by a pitch. Then, Chelsey Priest stepped to the plate and smacked a two-run line drive single up the middle.
Westfield Bank recouped both runs in the fifth, scoring on a wild pitch and a searing line drive single from Beach. They tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth on a LaMountain RBI triple, driving home Gabby Grabiec who led off the inning with a single, with a shot to left field. LaMountain scored on a wild throw.
In the seventh, Westfield Bank launched three consecutive ringing extra base hits – a Bruno double, a Marlow Murphy RBI triple, and a Beach RBI double.
Bruno pitched three scoreless innings. She did not allow a hit and struck out two batters. Leduc allowed just one hit, recording six strikeouts in three innings. Her only Blemis was Priest’s 2-run single. Stucenski closed out the seventh inning for Westfield Bank, allowing just a lone hit to Katelyn Connor before retiring the next three batters to end the game.
