PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Patrick Rindfuss hit a two-out single in the top of the seventh to break a 5-5 tie and send the Pittsfield baseball team on to an 8-5, upset win over defending state champion Taconic in the first round of the Division 3 State Tournament on Monday.
Cam Sime and Ben Cornish combined on a five-hitter for the 30th-seeded Generals, who move on to face No. 14 Arlington Catholic in the Sweet 16.
"Cam Sime pitched an incredible game today and hit his first home run as well," Pittsfield coach Drew Pearce said. "Our players continued to fight and believe in one another all day long like they have all year long. Our players are the definition of student-athletes. I’m so proud of this team and we are ready for the next round."
Pittsfield, which dropped a Western Mass title game to the Thunder just a week earlier, jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning on Monday.
Taconic responded to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth, and the teams went to seventh knotted, 5-5
Connor Lavinio started the winning rally with a single to left, and he was lifted for courtesy runner Will Kinne, who stole second ahead of a Luke Mele single that put runners at the corners.
Mele stole second, but Taconic reliever Sam Sherman struck out a pair to make it second and third with two out for Rindfuss.
Rindfuss took a 3-1 pitch to left field to drive in Kinne and Mele and give the Generals the lead.
He then ended up scoring on an error to give Pittsfield a three-run cushion.
In the bottom of the seventh, Cornish allowed a leadoff walk but then retired the side on a strikeout, a fly out and a ground ball to Rindfuss at second.
Sime went six innings on the hill, allowing three earned runs.
He also helped his cause with that solo home run.
Walker Abdallah doubled, and Jake Duquette drove in a pair of runs in an eight-hit Pittsfield attack.
Evan Blake went 2-for-3 with a home run for Taconic, which also got RBIs from Matt Lee and Steve Zuccalo.
Lee went five innings on the mound, striking out seven and allowing two earned runs before getting relief from Christian Salzarulo and Sherman.
Pittsfield won for the first time against Taconic since 2015, when it swept the season series.
