Berkshire Force 10U Team Brings Back Trophy from World Series

Community submission09:34PM / Saturday, August 03, 2019Print Story | Email Story

Mother Nature was about the only thing that could slow down the Berkshire Force 10-and-under softball team this week.

The Force was delayed most of Saturday getting home from the Babe Ruth World Series in Jensen Beach, Fla. The lightning that held up the team's flight north prevented the planned proper escort back into Pittsfield. So that will wait for another day.

But waiting nothing new for this team.

Berkshire Friday won the championship game of the Diamond Bracket at the national championships, edging Levelland, Texas, 4-3, in a game that was delayed six hours -- and played on two different fields -- due to lightning and rain.

When it finally ended, game MVP A.J. Pelkey hit a walk-off double to center field to score Gionnah LeVardi in the seventh inning.

Mia DeJesus earned the win in the circle as the Force finished the week 6-3 against some of the top programs in the country.

Pelkey and Ella Stodden were awarded spots on the tournament's all-defensive team.

Grace Julieano also made her mark on defense, helping turn more double plays, six, than anyone else in the tournament.

Out of 13 teams in the 10-and-under division, the Berkshire Force had several players finish at or near the top of statistical categories.

Stodden finished first in home runs with two. Pelkey led the way in putouts with 62. Julieano was second in the tournament with 11 stolen bases.

Other members of the Force 10U team include: Madison Barber, Mariah Barnes, Jaezsa Bartolotta, Chelsea Capitanio, Kylie Duhamel, Evelyn Julieano, Grace Julieano, Lillian MacDonald, Izabela Miller and Gionnah LeVardi.

The Force 10U and 12U teams both competed in the Babe Ruth World Series this week thanks to their performances in the New England Regional on their home fields at the Doyle Complex earlier this summer.

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Berkshire Towns Can Tap State Seasonal Communities Resources

10:15AM / Monday, December 29, 2025

BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey announced that 18 additional municipalities across Massachusetts have been designated as Seasonal Communities, opening up new tools, support and grant funding to help them manage seasonal housing pressures.

Created as part of the historic Affordable Homes Act signed into law by Governor Healey in 2024, the Seasonal Communities designation was designed to recognize Massachusetts communities that experience substantial variation in seasonal employment and to create distinctive tools to address their unique housing needs. The law also established the Seasonal Communities Advisory Council (SCAC).

"Our seasonal communities are a vital part of Massachusetts' cultural and economic fabric, but they're also home to essential workers, families, seniors, and longtime residents who deserve a place to live year-round," said

Governor Healey. "That's why we're committed to supporting these communities with innovative solutions like the Seasonal Communities designation to meet their unique needs, and I'm thrilled that we're offering this opportunity to 18 additional communities across the state. Everyone who calls these places home should be able to live, work and grow here, no matter the season."

The Affordable Homes Act identified several communities to automatically receive the designation, including:

All municipalities in the counties of Dukes and Nantucket;
All municipalities with over 35 percent seasonal housing units in Barnstable County; and
All municipalities with more than 40 percent seasonal housing units in Berkshire County.

To identify additional communities, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC) reviewed available data, specifically focusing on cities and towns with high levels of short-term rentals and a high share of second- or vacation homes.

In Berkshire County, Egremont, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, New Marlborough, Richmond, Sandisfield, Sheffield, West Stockbridge and Williamstown were designated.

As with the statutorily identified communities, acceptance of the designation for municipalities is voluntary and requires a local legislative vote. HLC will open an application for newly eligible communities that haven't accepted the Seasonal Communities designation to request consideration.

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