Westfield Babe Ruth 13-Year-Old pitcher Ari Schwartz delivers to a New Hampshire batter during the second inning of the New England Regionals at Bullens Field. (Photo by chief photographer Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD – The Westfield Babe Ruth 13-Year-Old All-Stars couldn’t have asked for a more promising start to their New England Regional run.
Westfield ace Ari Schwartz scattered five hits, struck out three batters, and allowed four runs in a complete-game effort and the Whip City hosts beat Manchester (NH) 14-4 in a mercy-shortened six-inning game Friday night at Bullens Field.
“It means a lot,” Schwartz said of winning in their first regionals effort. “No one thought we would win tonight after not winning states. It means a lot to prove to people we can win. We’re going to show them we can beat anyone.”
The scoreboard lit up early and often.
Manchester immediately put two runners on when Pat Swanson was hit by a pitch and Nate Hall singled, and scored on two-out RBI singles from Jason Derome and Kyle Justras to seize the game’s first lead, 2-0.
Westfield wasted little time in recouping the two runs and more.
In the bottom of the first inning, Scott Walsh and Sean Moorhouse hit consecutive base hits. Walsh eventually came around to score on a wild pitch. Anthony Clark walked. Sean Murphy tied the game with a ground out RBI. Ari Schwartz (3-for-3, RBI, run) followed with an infield single for the go-ahead run. Zach Jarvis singled. Shawn Gezotis capped off the inning’s runs with an infield single for a 4-2 lead.
Westfield pitcher Ari Schwartz, after being tagged a bit in the first, settled down to retired the side in the second on three straight groundouts.
Westfield continued to tack on runs.
In the second, Austin St. Pierre hit a lead-off triple to left center field before coming around to score on ball four to Scott Walsh, also a wild pitch. A balk, a Moorhouse sac-bunt, and a Clark sac-fly made it 6-2.
It was an inauspicious start for Westfield and Schwartz in the third.
Swanson walked for Manchester and Hall was hit by a pitch. Merrick hit an RBI single and Jason Derome scored on an error, but Derome was ruled out after Westfield appealed that the baserunner had never touched home plate. Schwartz struck out the next two batters to end the threat.
“Reed Phillips, who was sitting on the bench at the time, looked over to me and said he thought the runner never touched the plate,” said Westfield manager Mike Smith. After the game, Smith and Schwart said Phillips’ awareness was a key point in the game.
It may not have rained Friday night, but Westfield kept pouring on the runs.
In the third, Westfield drew three straight one-out walks before Moorhouse blasted a two-run double to left center field for an 8-3 lead. Clark followed with his second sac-fly to add another run.
The two teams exchanged one run in the fourth before a scoreless fifth. Swanson hit an RBI single for Manchester. Schwartz hit a lead-off single for Westfield, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on J.D. Huntley’s sac-fly.
Westfield ended it in the sixth. A run-scoring balk, Pierre’s 2-run line drive single up the middle, and a run-scoring wild pitch made it a 10-run mercy-rule ending.
Westfield advances to play Pittsfield Saturday at 7 p.m.
In other New England regional tournament games Friday, Pittsfield (Mass.) edged Bennington (VT) in nine innings 3-2, Warwick (RI) fought past Central (Maine) 7-6, and New Milford (Conn.) blanked Marblehead (Mass.) 10-0 in a 5-inning, mercy-rule.
Tournament games will be held all weekend at Bullens Field, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday and noon on Sunday.
Also, the Westfield Little League Senior Softball All-Stars begin their regionals journey Saturday against New Gloucester (Maine) at Ty Cobb Field at 2 p.m. They will play Jesse Burkett (Worc.) Sunday at Rockwood Field, beginning at 7.
