Alfonso Homers Twice as Red-Hot Generals Top Taconic

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com Sports
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. – For the Pittsfield softball team, practice makes potent.
 
Mia Alfonso went 4-for-5 with two home runs and eight runs batted in Friday as the Generals downed Taconic, 18-4, in the shadow of the dome.
 
Pittsfield, which was 3-4 at the start of the week, went 3-0 this week with 62 runs scored.
 
“We’ve been really working on hitting,” Pittsfield coach Jim Clary said. “We’ve either been hitting here or down at The Infield.
 
“The first couple of weeks of the season, our bats kind of let us down. But we’ve been on fire lately at the plate. Our defense is coming around. I’m looking forward to the rest of the year, that’s for sure.”
 
On Friday, Pittsfield broke open a 3-2 game with a six-run fourth inning, collecting four hits and cashing in on two Taconic errors.
 
Sophia Santos, Alfonso and Natalie Arnhold each drove in a run with a single during that rally.
 
“Coming into this game, we all knew that we had to keep our energy up,” Alfonso said. “We were more confident because the last couple of games, we’ve been mercy-ruling teams, but we knew Taconic was a pretty good team.
 
“And everyone hit through our lineup. Everyone got base hits.”
 
Nine different Generals did hit safely. In addition to Alfonso’s big day at the plate, Maddy Creamer went 2-for-4 with a double and a couple of RBIs.
 
After Taconic got a run on Anna Bongini’s RBI single in the top of the fifth, Pittsfield scored three more on Alfonso’s first homer of the day, down the line in left to drive in Creamer and Santos.
 
In the top of the sixth, Taconic’s Maddi Donovan singled, and her courtesy runner, Julia Pierce, eventually scored on a single by Brenna McNeice to make it 12-4.
 
But Pittsfield posted another six-run inning in the bottom of the sixth to earn its third straight “mercy rule” win.
 
Paxton Ebling pinch hit and drew a walk to start the rally. She eventually scored on a ball to the backstop. Molly Sherman singled and came home on Creamer’s sacrifice fly. Julia Johansen walked and scored on another ball to the backstop.
 
Amanda Pou and Santos each walked ahead of Alfonso, who ended the game with another blast to left.
 
Taconic also got a home run on Friday, a solo shot by Leena Schettini way back in the first.
 
Rylee Paronto and Cheyanne Goddard split time in the circle for the Thunder.
 
Pou went the distance for Pittsfield, striking out six and walking none.
 
Though she has split the starts with Jordynn Bazinet, Clary said he has confidence in several different pitchers this spring.
 
“We also have another pitcher, Jules [Johansen], and Mia Arpante can pitch,” Clary said. “It’s almost like going through a rotation now. And the challenge is I have to keep them all in the lineup because everybody is hitting. Jordynn, I think today was the first time she ever played left field, but she’s been hitting so well, I have to keep her in the game.”
 
Pittsfield (6-4) hosts West Springfield on Monday.
 
Taconic (3-5) is at Mount Greylock on Wednesday.
 
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