North Adams 13s Battle on Difficult Night in Babe Ruth Play
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- In Babe Ruth District 1 13-year-old play on Thursday, not much went North Adams' way.
But the way his team carried itself impressed North Adams coach Thomas Rumbolt.
"This is one of our off games, defintely," Rumbolt said after a 20-1 loss to Franklin County on Alombright Field. "Coming in, we were confident after the other night [a 6-4 win over Amherst]. We really played a great game on Tuesday, but that's the name of the game. Some days you have it. Some days you don't.
"I'm proud of the kids. They stayed into it. Our kids stayed respectful of the game."
North Adams kept hustling to try to make plays, even diving for ground balls, long after the outcome was decided.
The loss dropped Rumbolt's team to 1-1 in District 1 pool play with two games left: Sunday at Pittsfield and Tuesday at home against Westfield.
On Thursday night, Franklin County took a 6-0 lead after three innings but really broke it open with a four-run fourth that started with a leadoff double from Bailey Young.
The visitors added two more hits in the rally, chasing North Adams starting pitcher Charles Rushing after 3-plus innings of work.
In the bottom of the frame, North Adams, which was held hitless in the game, scored its only run to keep the game from ending after four via the 10-run rule.
Keegan Vidal got the rally started when he was hit by a pitch in the leadoff spot. An errant pickoff throw to first allowed Vidal to get to third. Then Franklin County tried again to pick him off, but this time Vidal got himself into a rundown between third and home and scored on a throw that went into the outfield.
Franklin County put the game away with 10 runs in the top of the fifth. Matt Gardner Gabe Gochinski doubled, and Dillon Hammel had two hits in the inning.
Garrett DeForest pitched three innings for Franklin County before departing to start the fourth.
North Adams used five pitchers in all, including some who may not have thought they were going to see action on the mound. That's another sign to Rumbolt of his players' willingness to do what needs to be done.
"Once the game got out of hand, we're not going to be pitching anyone who is starting the next game or two," Rumbolt said. "The positive out of that is we had some guys throw who don't normally.
"I was proud of them the way they came in and battled. They did their best, and sometimes it just doesn't come through. The positive is they can take this into house league and all-stars in the future for them to learn about their mechanics and how can continue to develop them.
"That's what's great about it."
