Murphy, Berkshire Force Win World Series Opener
.JPG)
PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- The area's top 16-and-under softball players served notice on Wednesday afternoon.
They are definitely a Force to be reckoned with.
The Berkshire Force pounded out 13 hits and got a complete-game, one-hit performance from Julia Murphy to defeat West Volusia, Fla., 9-1, in Berkshire's first action at the Babe Ruth Softball World Series at Gerald S. Doyle Memorial Park.
Berkshire proved a most unhospitable host to its first opponent at the weeklong championship, which drew 15 of the top teams in the age group from coast to coast.
Murphy said being the home team provided a little extra motivation for the Force.
"It kind of made us want to work harder because everyone usually kind of assumes the host team is just there," she said. "But we want to be more than 'there,' and I think we did that today."
Berkshire's offense was definitely there, as the Force opened up a 6-1 lead with a four-run third inning and tacked on three more in the bottom of the fourth to chase Volusia starting pitcher Daisy Beam.
The big blow came in the third when Allison Hunt drove the gap in left center and raced around the bases behind Kailey Bell and Hayley Tobin to turn a 2-1 lead into a 5-1 lead.
Kayla Kowalczyk later drove in a run in the inning to make things even more comfortable for Murphy the next time she entered the pitching circle.
"It gives you a cushion more than anything," Murphy said. "You still want to give it your all, but helps knowing that there's a good offense behind you that's going to produce runs."
And does it take some of the pressure off?
"Yeah, a little bit," Murphy said with a chuckle.
Murphy struck out seven, including striking out the side in the top of the seventh. Her only run was unearned, and West Volusia (0-1) hit the ball out of the infield just once, a fly ball to center field to lead off the third.
That kind of dominance in the circle alone would have been enough to get the Force off to a good start. But add the offensive firepower, and Berkshire coach Jim Clary had plenty of reason to smile.
"We're flying high right now," Clary said. "That was textbook perfect. Jules came out and pitched a game -- she told me she'd been waiting to pitch this game until 2008.
"She said, 'I've been waiting six years for this.' "
The rest of the Force has been waiting at least a couple of months -- since Clary set his roster -- to make its World Series debut in front of the hometown crowd.
The anticipation may have delayed Pittsfield's offensive breakthrough for a little while.
"They definitely had butterflies the first couple of innings," Clary said. "The first time through the order, you could see it. Some of the girls even told me, 'We have some butterflies.' I said let's go a couple of innings, the second time through, their confidence level came to the top."
Berkshire manufactured two runs in the bottom of the second after Ashley Keegan was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Kowalczyk sacrificed Keegan into scoring position, and after Volusia got the second out, Miranda Voller singled to left and moved up a throw home to put two runners in scoring position for Jillian Campbell.
Campbell delivered with a two-run single to left to put the home team ahead, 2-0.
West Volusia got one back in the third, but the floodgates opened in the bottom of the frame.
Bell started things off with a bunt single and stole second. Murphy walked but was erased on a fielder's choice that put Tobin and Bell aboard for Hunt.
After she cleared the bases, making it 5-1, Keegan doubled to left and came home on Kowalczyk's single.
In the fourth, the first four Force batters reached base. Bell and Tobin singled and Murphy doubled before Rylea Yockey went from first to pitcher to close the door for Volusia. Though Berkshire scored three in the inning, Yockey pitched three innings of scoreless ball to make sure the game went the distance.
Berkshire continues Pool B play on Friday at 2:30 against Southwest, which was idle on Wednesday. Elsewhere in the five-team pool on Wednesday, Ohio Valley beat Pacific Northwest.
Berkshire plays Ohio Valley on Friday at 3 and Pacific Northwest at 8:15 on Friday in the last session of pool play before the survivors of the pools move on to a double-elimination format.
