Longmeadow 7, Westfield 4
BULLENS FIELD, WESTFIELD – In its previous game, a 6-4 loss to Greenfield Post 81 on Saturday, Westfield Post 124 struggled to get men on base, managing only a single base runner over the final four innings. On Monday against Longmeadow, Post 124 put runners on base in every inning. This time, they struggled to score those runners.
Westfield (11-5) left nine runners on base – seven of them in scoring position – and paid the price for its absence of timely hitting, losing for a season-high third straight time, 7-4.
The game went back-and-forth early. Westfield scored in the top of the first when Jacob Colapietro was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on a throwing error. Longmeadow came back with two in the next half inning off starter Stefan Krol. Colapietro saved additional runs from scoring when he drifted a long way from his shortstop position into shallow center to make an over-the-shoulder catch of a Max Rye blooper, then doubled off the runner at second. Westfield tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Anthony Riga scored on a long double by Brett Turbin. Turbin was stranded at third to end the inning.
Westfield Post 124 third baseman Anthony Riga tags the runner out. (Photo courtesy of Lynn Boscher)
Longmeadow re-took the lead with a single run in the fourth, followed by Post 124 again tying the game in the bottom of the inning. Riga reached on a single to left, moved up on Adam Kearing’s single, and finally scored on Nick Clegg’s single through the shortstop hole. This time, Kearing was stranded at third.
Westfield put runners on first and second in the fifth, but couldn’t move them any further. In the sixth, Clegg ended the inning standing on second. In the seventh, more of the same. With one out Krol doubled to right-center. Jack Blake then one-hopped the fence in right-center for a double, scoring Krol. Post 124 ended its quiet comeback with two quick outs, leaving one last runner in scoring position.
Longmeadow pushed across single runs in the fifth and sixth, and then added a pair in the top of the seventh for the win.
Westfield next plays on Wednesday against second-place East Springfield Post 420 at Forest Park in Springfield. Post 124 will close out its regular season on Friday at 5:45 p.m. against first-place Northampton Post 28 at Jachym Field.
Story is courtesy of Westfield Post 124.
