MCLA Softball Snaps Skid

By Jeffrey PuleriMCLA Sports Info
Print Story | Email Story
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The MCLA Softball team snapped a 13-game slide with a sweep of visiting Southern Vermont College by scores of 2-1 and 9-1 on a blustery Friday at the Zavattaro athletics complex. With the sweep, the Trailblazers improved to 6-29, while the Mountaineers dropped to 4-32 on the season.

MCLA plated single runs in the first and fourth innings to lead 2-0. Kendra Hobbs led off the first with a double and after being sacrificed to third, came home on Kayla Koumjian's infield single. Koumjian was involved again in the fourth, this time coming home on an Angelica Perfido single for the 2-0 advantage.

Starting pitcher Ainsley MacDonald made it stand. After four scoreless innings, she ran into trouble in the fifth. With two outs and a runner on first, she gave up a single putting runners on the corners. A run came across after a wild pitch, but MacDonald was able to escape further damage by inducing a groundout.

MacDonald surrendered five hits and four walks while striking out six to earn the win. Emily Fleming absorbed the loss for the Mountaineers.

Alyssa Davis had a pair of hits for Southern Vermont in the opener, while Perfido was the lone Trailblazer with two hits.

In the nightcap, Southern Vermont jumped ahead after pushing across a run in the top of the second off MCLA starter Kelly Pirzl, however the Trailblazers responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half to take the lead for keeps.


Perfido led off the inning with a crazy play as she reached on an outfield error. While advancing to third base on the play, she scampered home on an errant throw to tie the game at one. Then with two outs in the inning, Pirzl helped her own cause driving home Kendra Hinkell to give MCLA the lead.

The home team tacked on two more in the third, this time using a pair of hits and a pair of miscues to take a 4-1 advantage. MCLA put the game out of reach with a four-run fourth inning.

Pirzl went the distance to earn the win allowing just three hits and striking out five. Haley McDonald took the loss for Southern Vermont.

Koumjian finished with a pair of hits, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Pirzl also collected two hits in the win.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Armed North Adams Man Arrested Following Domestic Standoff

Staff Reports

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Matthew Parker, a 44-year-old North Adams man, is set to face multiple counts of attempted murder and weapons charges in Northern Berkshire District Court on Friday morning following an hours-long, armed standoff at a Houghton Street home.

The defendant is being arraigned for:

  • Domestic Assault and Battery
  • Assault with the Intent to Murder (3 counts)
  • Carrying a Firearm While Under the Influence of Alcohol (3 counts)
  • Possession of a hi-capacity firearm (4 counts)
  • Improper Storage of a hi-capacity firearm (2 counts)
  • Improper Storage of a firearm (6 counts)

According to a report, on June 10, at approximately 8:42 p.m., officers responded to 365 Houghton St. following a report of a domestic assault and battery. The caller said she and her husband had been involved in a physical altercation.

She said her husband was intoxicated, making suicidal statements about shooting himself, and had access to both a shotgun and a pistol.

Upon arrival, officers made contact with both the caller and Parker. During the encounter, Parker threatened to shoot officers before retreating into the home and refusing to exit.

Officers believed that Parker was armed.

To ensure public safety, police established a perimeter around the home and requested assistance from the Berkshire County Special Response Team (SRT) and North Adams Police crisis negotiators. The Brien Center was also contacted and promptly provided an emergency mental health clinician to assist with the incident.

Special Response Team personnel deployed drones to monitor the residence and provide aerial illumination. During the operation, officers saw Parker exit the house carrying a rifle. He pointed it at the drones, stated a report. Parker subsequently pointed the rifle toward several officers positioned behind their cruisers. After officers attempted to de-escalate the situation, Parker returned inside the residence.

Trained crisis negotiators maintained communication with Parker for several hours in an effort to peacefully resolve the situation. At approximately 2 a.m., Parker ceased communication with negotiators.

Drone operators later observed Parker unconscious in a recliner on the first floor of the residence, with a rifle and shotgun on the floor nearby.

Members of the Berkshire County SRT then executed a coordinated operation. Diversionary devices were deployed through a window while an entry team simultaneously entered the home, secured the firearms, and took the defendant into custody.

A search warrant was executed after Parker was in custody. North Adams Police seized four shotguns, six rifles, two handguns, and thousands or rounds of ammunition from the home.

During the operation, one SRT member sustained a minor injury related to a less-lethal bean bag deployment. Parker also sustained non-life threatening injuries during the arrest and was transported to Berkshire Medical Center for medical evaluation.

"We thank the community for its patience and cooperation throughout this incident, particularly residents in the affected area who complied with temporary shelter-in-place requests," Police Chief Mark Bailey said.  "The North Adams Police Department extends its sincere appreciation to the agencies that provided mutual aid and assisted by handling calls for service during this incident. We are especially grateful to the Berkshire County Special Response Team for its professional and decisive response, the Brien Center for the rapid deployment of a mental health clinician, and our crisis negotiators whose efforts helped maintain dialogue and contributed significantly to the safe resolution of this incident."

View Full Story

More North Adams Stories