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Braintree Blanks Pittsfield Babe Ruth 15s at Regional

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com Sports
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WESTFIELD, Mass. -- The best thing that could be said about the Pittsfield Babe Ruth 15-year-old All-Stars' New England Regional opener is that it was just the first game of pool play.
 
But that was not the only positive to take away from a 4-0 loss to Braintree at Bullens Field.
 
The biggest other positive may be that despite 10 walks and four Pittsfield errors, the team only gave up four runs, all in the top of the second.
 
Pittsfield pitchers Sam Sherman, Stevie Zuccalo and Mike Zwinglestein stranded 13 runners to help keep the team in the ballgame.
 
Another plus to take going into Saturday's 2 p.m. matchup with the Rhode Island State Champions: Pittsfield went down fighting. getting hits from Owen Kroboth and Zwinglestein in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Unfortunately for Pittsfield, that meant half of its hits came with at least one out in the seventh inning.
 
Against Braintree starter Chase Cahill, any other offense was hard to come by.
 
"I don't think he walked anybody," Pittsfield manager Bryon Sherman said. "He hit one batter. No freebies.
 
"We had runners on. We had a couple of chances and just couldn't pull through. He got out of jams when he needed to."
 
Cahill struck out seven in a complete-game win at sweltering Bullens.
 
He got all the offensive support he needed in that second inning, when two Pittsfield errors helped helped Braintree get ahead.
 
Josh Donovan got the inning started with a leadoff walk, but he was eventually erased when Zuccalo fielded a grounder at third and fired home to Kroboth for the inning's first out.
 
By that time,, though, two more runners were on base, and both scored thanks to Tim McLaughlin's RBI single and a run-scoring groundout. Cahill capped the inning with a two-run double to left-center.
 
Pittsfield's best chance to put a dent in the lead came in the bottom of the third.
 
Kaden Codey legged out an infield single with one out, and Jonathan Monahan singled to center to put runners at the corners. Monahan then stole second to put two men in scoring position.
 
But Cahill got a strikeout looking an a fly ball to the mound to end the threat.
 
Pittsfield got one more baserunner, a hit batter with two out in the fifth, before Kroboth's one-out single in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Zwinglestein's two-out single put two men on base, but Cahill closed the door with a swinging strike.
 
Pittsfield took away one more lesson as it looks ahead to Saturday's game against Rhode Island (0-1) and the second of three pool play contests.
 
"They learned a lot today," Sherman said. "We faced some adversity for the the first time, which we handled OK. It could be better. We know we need to shape up and come back ready to play tomorrow against Rhode Island."

 

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MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prepare for traffic impacts around Berkshire Medical Center through May for a state Department of Transportation project to improve situations and intersections on North Street and First Street.

Because of this, traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel on First Street (U.S. Route 7) and North Street between Burbank Street and Abbott Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through at least May 6.

BMC and Medical Arts Complex parking areas remain open and detours may be in place at certain times. The city will provide additional updates on changes to traffic patterns in the area as construction progresses.

The project has been a few years in the making, with a public hearing dating back to 2021. It aims to increase safety for all modes of transportation and improve intersection operation.

It consists of intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, the conversion of North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue to serve one-way southbound traffic only, intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection improvements at Springside Avenue and North Street, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of First Street, North Street, Stoddard Avenue, and the Berkshire Medical Center entrance.

Work also includes the construction of 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps.  

Last year, the City Council approved multiple orders for the state project: five orders of takings for intersection and signal improvements at First Street and North Street. 

The total amount identified for permanent and temporary takings is $397,200, with $200,000 allocated by the council and the additional monies coming from carryover Chapter 90 funding. The state Transportation Improvement Plan is paying for the project and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the design cost and rights-of-way takings.

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