PITTSFIELD, Mass. – The Berkshire Force 16U travel softball team Sunday rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull away for an 8-4 win in the championship game of their Battle of the Berkshires tournament at the Doyle Complex.
Ava McMahon struck out six and gave up just one run after the first inning as the Force completed a 3-0 run through the playoffs after going 1-2 in pool play.
Mollie Crawford, Amelia Polidoro and McMahon each drove in a run in the late rally that finally gave McMahon a little bit of breathing room.
The Force jumped on top early with three runs in the top of the first, but the Nor’Easters out of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region responded right away, tying the game.
In the second, Amaya Alger (3-for-3) singled, moved up on Mackenzie Biros’ sacrifice bunt and scored on a combination stolen base/errant throw to give the Force a 4-3 lead it never relinquished.
But Berkshire missed chances to add to that lead in the third, fourth and fifth, leaving runners in scoring positions in each inning.
Meanwhile, McMahon was brilliant in the circle after a rough first inning, striking out six, walking just one and allowing three earned runs in a complete-game effort.
