PITTSFIELD, Mass. – JJ Gonzalez Monday led the Westfield Babe Ruth 13-year-old All-Stars on the mound and at the plate in a 10-2 win over Pittsfield to open the best-of-three Western Massachusetts Championship Series.

 

Gonzalez went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs. He also earned the win on the bump by striking out three, walking one and allowing one run in 4 and a third innings of work.

 

He was locked in a pitcher’s duel with Pittsfield’s Mateo Herrera early, but one moment of shaky defense opened the door to a big third inning for the visitors, and Pittsfield never recovered at Deming Park.

 

Westfield’s Lucas Maak worked a walk to start the third, bringing its No. 9 hitter to the plate, and Jaedon Badillo dropped down a bunt. Pittsfield’s defense surrounded the ball but could not produce a throw, allowing Badillo to reach.

 

Then the next Westfield hitter, Eric Dean, got his bunt down and reached first to load the bases with nobody out and bring the top of the order to the plate.

 

Three of the next four hitters singled – Gonzalez driving in a pair – and the visitors produced seven hits in all in the rally that left them with a 6-0 lead.

 

“We practiced it the last two weeks, bunt defense, first and thirds,” Pittsfield coach Francis McKeon said. “We just, we’ve got to make an adjustment where we see fit.